Pledging to tell “the real BlackBerry story,” actor Mark Wahlberg’s non-scripted production company Unrealistic Ideas has teamed up with Toronto-based Viral Nation and filmmaker Eddie Schmidt “to tell the true inside story of the smartphone pioneers at BlackBerry,” according to a press release last week.
“Fueled by exclusive access to the Research In Motion (BlackBerry) Alumni Association, which includes dozens of key executives from the earliest stages of the company, the film is the definitive look at the meteoric ascent and subsequent decline of the company told through interviews with the people who lived it and a wealth of never-before-seen behind the scenes archive,” reads the release.
Unrealistic Ideas is the company behind HBO’s McMillions. Schmidt is an Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated documentary producer and director known for This Film Is Not Yet Rated and Twist of Faith as well as series such as Ugly Delicious.
“Unrealistic Ideas is well-known for its unparalleled expertise in documentary storytelling. Our shared passion for exploring BlackBerry’s profound impact on communication and global connectivity made them the obvious choice for this project,” Joe Gagliese, CEO and co-founder of Viral Nation, said in the release.
“Eddie brings an incredible eye for pathos and character-driven storytelling to the project, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with the fantastic team at Viral Nation,” said Unrealistic Ideas president and partner Archie Gips.
The documentary is already in production, according to the press release. Unrealistic Ideas’ Wahlberg, Gips, Stephen Levinson and David Wendell will produce alongside Viral Nation’s Colin McRae and Neil Desai.
