Filmmakers Vanessa Yuille and Matthew Jacobs’ award-winning documentary film, Doctor Who Am I, has been acquired by Gravitas Ventures and will receive its North American release by the Red Arrow Studios company across all VOD and streaming platforms on March 28th 2023.
Doctor Who Am I follows the infamous Doctor Who screenwriter Matthew Jacobs who is reluctantly dragged back into the American Whoniverse, in a funny and moving documentary about finding family in the unlikeliest of places.
The film, Yuille’s debut film, is an emotional exploration on moving forward and finding one’s sense of place. Triumphs and heartbreaks can be one and the same, but much like The Doctor, they can also regenerate into beautiful new things. The film is a poignant complex journey of reflection, risk, and putting oneself out there even if you aren’t sure you’ll be embraced when you show up. Anyone who has ever created something with their whole heart and soul and then had it eviscerated will find Jacobs’ story painfully relatable.
Watch the trailer below:
REELated:
Pre-sales will be available exclusively on iTunes/Apple TV pre-order prior to the release. For film collectors and Whovian aficionados, the feature documentary will also be available for DVD or BluRay purchase the same day in the United States from Amazon. Theatrical screenings of the film will occur at the renowned Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival in February as well as events in Los Angeles and Beloit well into March.
The film’s North American release follows an enormously successful festival run and praise, including its acquisition in August by Kaleidoscope Film Distribution, who snapped up the picture for worldwide international sales rights. The documentary’s distribution also comes on the heels of Disney+’s acquisition of international rights for the series on its platform, as well as ahead of this November’s commemorative milestone date in the Doctor Who franchise – the 60th anniversary of the hit BBC series’ first broadcast, with three new special episodes planned for Fall 2023, including the return of the show’s infamous star, actor David Tennant.
Despite being listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running and most successful sci-fi television show in the world and sci-fi series of all time, Doctor Who aficionados will recall the mid-90s lull in production of the show, a time when actor Paul McGann was revealed as the Eighth Doctor in the controversial 1996 TV film made by the BBC, Universal Studios and Fox Broadcasting Network. The success of this film would dictate the fate of the series being picked up by Fox, but when the Doctor infamously kissed his assistant, Grace Holloway – and the suggestion that he was half-human was implied – outcry from disapproving fans sparked outrage.
“It’s been a labor of love, and we’re thrilled US audiences will be able to see this uplifting documentary that celebrates American fandom, finding family, acceptance, and the freedom to express who you are. Gravitas Ventures is the perfect distributor to share this story and global franchise with North American audiences,” shares Yuille. “We have been bowled over by the reception our documentary has received so far from the UK fandom and media during its release there at the end of last year,” adds Jacobs. “In now getting to taking it around the US festivals and fan conventions, the reception has been no less enthusiastic. We can’t wait to share it as widely as possible in North America.”
Doctor Who Am I features the original cast of the Doctor Who movie, including Paul McGann (Doctor Who, The Three Musketeers, Queen of the Damned), Eric Roberts (Inherent Vice, The Dark Knight, The Expendables), and Daphne Ashbrook (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). It is produced by American Anorak, with Matthew Jacobs and Vanessa Yuille as producers.
Chris Chibnall, who was the showrunner until recently, watched Doctor Who Am I on Britbox and adored it, “Affecting and affectionate, Doctor Who Am I – beautifully directed and edited by Vanessa Yuille and Matthew Jacobs – is a compelling and surprising documentary like no other. It’s a rich and beguiling piece of film-making: a revelatory personal odyssey into the heart of fandoms, family and Doctor Who that will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. I loved it.”
He concludes, “Packed full of wonderful cameos and contributions from beloved Doctor Who faces, this film explores what it means to put creative work into the world, and how the passage of time affects the work, the creators and the fans. It’s essential viewing for anyone whose pulse quickens at the sight of a battered blue police box.”
