Remembering Gene Wilder Opens Theatrically in March 2024

KINO LORBER ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO REMEMBERING GENE WILDER

Moving tribute to the late comic genius features iconic scenes from his most beloved films plus interviews with Mel Brooks, Carol Kane, and more 

Opens theatrically in March 2024

“I love this film! It’s a warm and wonderful tribute to my dear friend, Gene. Don’t miss it!”

– Mel Brooks

New York, NY – January 11, 2024 – Kino Lorber has acquired all rights worldwide to Ron Frank’s documentary Remembering Gene Wilder, a moving and entertaining portrait of the life and career of the beloved actor and comedian. Featuring an extensive array of highlights from Wilder’s most memorable films as well as interviews with his closest friends, family, and fellow comics, Remembering Gene Wilder has screened at film festivals throughout the US and will next be featured as the Closing Night Film of the New York Jewish Film Festival on January 24. Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release in March 2024, followed by a home video, nontheatrical, and digital release on all major platforms. 

Directed by Ron Frank and written by Glenn Kirschbaum, Remembering Gene Wilder was the Opening Night Selection of the Boston and San Francisco Jewish Film Festivals, as well as the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, where it won Best Picture. The film is executive produced by husband and wife producing team David Knight and Julie Nimoy of Health Point Productions; Julie’s father, Leonard Nimoy, was Wilder’s longtime friend and onetime director.

Remembering Gene Wilder is a loving tribute to Gene Wilder that celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles: from his collaborations with Mel Brooks in The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles, to his inspired on-screen partnership with Richard Pryor in movies like Silver Streak, to originating the strange and magical title role of the mysterious chocolatier in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, most recently portrayed by Timothee Chalamet. Alongside his brilliant career, Remembering Gene Wilder also captures intimate moments from Wilder’s private life, including his Jewish upbringing in Milwaukee, marriage to Gilda Radner, and his final chapter living with Alzheimer’s. Illustrated by a variety of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes from Willy Wonka, Blazing Saddles, and more; never-before-seen home movies; narration by Wilder himself from the audiobook of his memoir; and interviews with some of his most brilliant friends and collaborators, including Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane, and his widow Karen Boyer Wilder, Remembering Gene Wilder reminds us what an essential performer, writer, and director Gene Wilder was, an all-around mensch beloved by all those whose lives he touched.

The deal for Remembering Gene Wilder was negotiated by Kino Lorber Senior Vice President Wendy Lidell and entertainment attorney Gary Goldberger.

“It's hard to not have a smile on your face when Gene Wilder is on screen – whether you're watching him as Willy Wonka, Leo Bloom, Dr. Frankenstein, or any of his wildly creative, instantly memorable characters, Wilder's humor, warmth, and effortless charisma is universally appealing,” said Wendy Lidell, SVP of Theatrical Distribution and Acquisitions for Kino Lorber. “In this loving, career-spanning documentary, Ron Frank has captured both the public Gene Wilder that we all know and love as well as the more private Gene, a funny, kind, and gentle man beloved by his family, friends, and confidants. We're thrilled to share this film with audiences worldwide, so they can join us in spending 92 delicious minutes with the magical man behind the characters we love.”

“I first met Gene Wilder the way so many did: as a kid in the cinema, laughing so hard at Blazing Saddles that I nearly fell off my seat. It's been a privilege to laugh, cry, and reminisce about Gene as we worked on this documentary, and it couldn't have been done without the support of his wife Karen, his family, and so many of his closest friends. We're delighted to partner with Kino Lorber to bring this film to audiences everywhere and celebrate Gene's legacy,” said director Ron Frank.

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About Ron Frank

An award-winning filmmaker, Ron Frank has earned a Peabody award and Emmy nomination, and has worked as director, writer, editor and producer. Among his many collaborations, Ron has interviewed and worked with Gregory Peck, John McCain, Larry King,  Robert Klein, Louis Gossett Jr., Mort Sahl, Hugh Hefner, Sid Caesar, Jerry Stiller, Jackie Mason, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, and Deepak Chopra, among others. His latest film, Remembering Gene Wilder, is about the life of the iconic actor, writer and director.

He was producer and editor for MLK: The Assassination Tapes for Smithsonian Channel for which he received the George Foster Peabody Award. One of Ron's earlier television documentaries was a two-hour special for History Channel, The Hunt for Adolf Eichmann, narrated by Gregory Peck. He was director and writer for The Eternal Road on PBS, the story of a lost opera by Kurt Weill that foreshadowed the fate of German Jewry and was hailed as "an eloquent work" by the Los Angeles Times.

Ron produced and edited The Lost JFK Tapes for National Geographic Channel, a two hour special on the JFK assassination for which he received an Emmy nomination and was described by critics as "mesmerizing" (The New York Times), "revelatory" (Dallas Morning News) and, "fascinating" (New York Daily News).

He is director, producer and editor of his theatrical documentary film, When Comedy Went to School about the birthplace of stand up comedy in the Catskill Mountains; The Huffington Post called it “a loving look at a bygone era". 

Ron has taught documentary filmmaking at UCLA and holds a BFA from New York University's film school.

About Kino Lorber
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 45 years, releasing 35 films per year theatrically and garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. Most recently, the company has expanded its own direct digital platforms through the acquisition of leading international series streamers MHz Choice and Topic and the launch of Kino Film Collection, a subscription service for film lovers showcasing new releases direct from theaters plus curated international, indie, and documentary films and newly restored classics from the Kino Lorber library. Additionally, the company brings hundreds of titles annually to the home entertainment and educational markets through digital and physical media releases.