Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks to create John Candy documentary with Amazon
Last October, Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks revealed plans to create a documentary film on the late Canadian comedian John Candy. It has now been revealed that the pair are in advanced talks with Amazon Prime Video, who will release the ongoing project on their platform when complete.
Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes, has been directing the extensive documentary with Reynolds heading up production duties. The project is currently untitled, but Amazon Prime Video look to be the first network to acquire the exciting feature.
Candy sadly passed away in 1994 following a heart attack; he was just 43 years old. The Toronto-born icon rose to prominence thanks to SCTV before he leapt to the big screen. His impressive oeuvre includes Stripes, Splash, Spaceballs, The Great Outdoors, Brewster’s Millions, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Cool Runnings, among others.
Fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds has long proclaimed his love for the late comedy actor. He was elated to announce that his production company Maximum Effort would develop a new documentary covering his life and legacy. “With John Candy trending, I’ll just say I love him,” Reynolds wrote on Twitter of his hero and national treasure. “So much so, Maximum Effort is working on a documentary on his life with Colin Hanks. Expect tears.”
In a statement issued to People Magazine last October, a representative for Reynolds confirmed the news. “The Candy family is giving Maximum Effort access to his archive and home video footage,” the representative said.
“Boom! So looking forward to working on this with them and our family. This project is in great hands,” John’s daughter Jennifer Candy, 42, shared in another tweet.
“It’s the 25th anniversary of John Candy’s passing. We cooked up a small tribute to a comedic genius and Canadian hero. If you haven’t seen much of his work, take a look at his films. He was a treasure,” Reynolds wrote back in 2019.
Candy wasn’t just a comedy actor; he also became the proud owner of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts alongside Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall. The team went on to win the Grey Cup in 1991 after defeating the Calgary Stampeders 36-21.
McNall was the only owner to have his name etched onto the trophy at the time, but the CFL finally added the names of Gretzky and Candy in 2007, 13 years after Candy’s death.
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