The first authorized documentary on the life and legacy of Andy Kaufman has found its director in Clay Tweel.
The award-winning documentarian best known for Finder Keepers, Gleason, and Out of Omaha has been tapped to direct the upcoming documentary, a joint production between Worldwide Pants Incorporated, Fifth Season, Campfire Studios, and Seven Bucks Productions.
According to an article from Deadline, the documentary will “investigate the origins of the artist’s unparalleled creative choices” and provide previously unseen access to archival and private recordings provided by the estate of Kaufman and his long-time manager, George Shapiro.
Several producers and EPs have been named for the film, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Brian Gewirtz of Seven Bucks and Worldwide Pants executive producer David Letterman, the former late night host most familiar with Kaufman’s career thanks to several appearances on NBC’s Late Night series.
This will be the first authorized doc featuring the WWE Hall of Famer, but certainly not the first time his life and legacy have been covered; Kaufman has previously been featured on the comedy documentary I’m From Hollywood in 1989, as well as the 1999 biopic Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey, among many other pieces of media.
The biopic brought much of Kaufman’s career and ventures to the forefront, including his brief run in the world of professional wrestling and his feud with Memphis legend and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler.