Showtime Preps John Belushi Doc

LOS ANGELES: Showtime is teaming up with filmmakers R.J. Cutler (The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney) and John Battsek (Searching For Sugar Man, The Tillman Story) on a feature-length documentary about the life of comic legend John Belushi.

Belushi’s widow Judith Belushi Pisano has agreed to cooperate with the making of the film and provided the exclusive photo of John being used from her private collection. Directed by Cutler and produced by Battsek, the documentary is set to begin production in the fall, with long-time Belushi collaborator Sean Daniel serving as executive producer along with Bill Couturie. Cutler will also produce.

The film will be produced in association with Sky Atlantic.

“Belushi was one of my very first heroes,” said Cutler. “At a time when film, television and music were undergoing tectonic shifts within American culture, he was at the center of it all. At that moment, he had the number one show on television, the number one film at the box office, and the number one record on the charts. We plan to explore his unique genius and how his creative influence is still making an impact to this moment.”

“This is a film I have wanted to make for many years as John was a great hero of mine. Having Judy’s cooperation for the first time on a feature documentary of his life is very special and means we know we will be making a truly authentic film,” commented Battsek. “We plan to assemble a deep and three-dimensional look into the life of a man of great complexity and talent who went on to become an American comedic icon.”

“John Battsek and I have been discussing the possibility of making this film for over a decade,” added Belushi Pisano. “I’m thrilled to finally embark upon that journey together with him and director R.J. Cutler. Passion Pictures is poised to make the definitive documentary on John Belushi—a man who not only had a profound effect on the comedy landscape of America, but also made an indelible mark on the social fabric of his time which continues to reverberate today.”