The Hamptons Summer Doc Fest has scored a bit of coup.
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” — directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui — sold in Sundance for a record $15 million to Warner Bros. Discovery. It will be released this fall across all the company’s platforms including theatrical, CNN, and MAX.
First shown at Sundance back in January, the Christopher Reeve documentary — about the famed actor who died in 2004 at age 52 — drew raves. Now it will get an early look screening on August 14th in East Hampton at the beautifully restored Guild Hall. .
Are there enough tickets? (See below for how to get them.) Reeve was wildly popular as the star of the original — and best– Superman movies. A tragic horseback riding accident made him a paraplegic, but Reeve — and his amazing wife, Dana– rose to the occasion and became internationally acclaimed activists raising money for research into paralysis. They each died young and within a short time of each other. (The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is still going strong.)
Alec Baldwin will have a conversation following the showing with Will Reeve, the beloved Chris and Dana Reeve’s son
Another Sundance film, “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” will also make its first appearance on July 5th at SummerDocs. Filmmakers Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina follow a married couple of Russian daredevils who travel to Malaysia t climb a 118 story skyscraper — the second highest in the world. (Hamptons viewers will ask, Couldn’t they just take the elevator?) If you don’t have vertigo, and don’t expect Superman to fly in and save these people, “Skywalkers” is a must see.
The third SummerDocs entry is Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber’s “War Game,” on Saturday, July 20th. Also shown at Sundance only, “War Game” is an unusual documentary take on a possible Civil War after the January 6th insurrection. “War Game” had enthusiastic reviews in Sundance for its originality: there are actors involved, so it’s kind of a quasi-documentary. (I’m surprised no one mentioned it when “Civil War” was released last month.)
SummerDocs also has a free outdoor screening program this year with showings of two Steven Spielberg classics — “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park” — plus “Moana,” “The Never Ending Story,” and the great “Singin’ in the Rain.” (Expect a lot of umbrellas a the latter even if the sun is shining!)
