Andy Kaufman is undeniably one of the most important voices in comedy, as someone who broke down the barriers of what you can and can’t do onstage. He was a variety of things, including a song and dance man, an actor, a wrestler, and beyond. Now, Andy’s life will be the subject of a new definitive documentary.
Clay Tweel will direct the new documentary that will examine Kaufman’s life and career. The documentary comes from Campfire Films, in association with David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Production. Johnson will serve as a producer alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, Campfire’s Ross M. Dinerstein, and Shannon Riggs. Letterman will executive produce for Worldwide Pants, alongside Tom Keaney, Tyler Kaufman, Tweel, Tommy Avallone, Ross Girard and Rebecca Evans.
Tyler Kaufman says “My uncle Andy was a comic genius who continues to inspire artists around the world. There has never been anyone like him and there never will be. He delighted and provoked, and was just as comfortable creating anger and confusion as laughter. He made indelible impressions. His work is as vibrant today as ever, and we’re thrilled to join this filmmaking team in bringing viewers a very intimate and comprehensive look into his life and career.”
“I’ve always loved Andy because he was able to elicit such emotional reactions to his performances by using both the poignant and the absurd to keep his audience off balance,” says Tweel. “I hope we can honor his legacy in that way with our film.”
“Like many, I’m infinitely fascinated by Andy’s approach to comedy and to ‘showbusiness,’ in general,” added Dinerstein. “He’s influenced generations of comics, but there will never be another performer like him. Working with the Kaufman Estate and this particular production group, we feel well-equipped to shed light on Andy’s life, career and genius.”
The film is being done alongside the Andy Kaufman Estate, who has given exclusive access to materials never-before-seen, such as private recordings. The film will also utilize the exclusive archives of Kaufman’s longtime manage, George Shapiro.