In light of world events, Warner Bros. and Fathom have decided to give Navalny — the doc about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was targeted in an assassination attempt in August 2020 — a special release in more than 800 theaters on April 11-12.
The doc, directed by Daniel Roher, premiered to critical and audience acclaim at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award in the U.S. Documentary competition and the Festival Favorite Award. It presently sits at a rare 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Just before Sundance, CNN Films and HBO Max announced they were partnering on Navalny, with CNN set to broadcast the film in North America, with HBO Max and CNN+ holding streaming rights. Sister film studio Warner Bros. later acquired theatrical rights in North America. Dogwoof represents available international rights for the film.
The Warners and Fathom screenings will be followed by a special conversation with the filmmakers, to be moderated by CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward. Ward has reported extensively from Russia and Ukraine, and specifically on matters related to Navalny, for several years.
The film chronicles how Navalny — a Putin detractor who fights against authoritarianism — was secretly poisoned with a military-grade chemical nerve agent in an elaborate attempt on his life. Despite denials from the Russian government, the poison was later linked to the Kremlin through investigations by international news organizations, including Bellingcat and CNN.
“Alexey Navalny was just last week convicted and sentenced in Russia and cannot tell the story of what happened to him. Our film shows his tremendous courage fighting an authoritarian regime and its corruption inside Russia,” Roher said in a statement announcing the theatrical plans.
“Particularly at this historic global moment, we are really pleased to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Fathom Events to make Navalny widely available to through these special engagements,” added Amy Entelis, executive vp of talent and content development for CNN Worldwide.
Source: HollyWood
