Washington DC [US], June 4 : 'John Candy: I Like Me', a documentary from director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds, will open the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
It's set to screen on September 4 at Roy Thomson Hall.
Candy was a Toronto-born comedian who rose to fame on Canada's sketch comedy show "SCTV" and went on to star in films such as "Spaceballs," "Uncle Buck," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," "National Lampoon's Vacation" and "Little Shop of Horrors." He unexpectedly died of a heart attack at age 43 in 1994, reported Variety.
"Comedy fans worldwide grew up on John Candy's humour," said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. "We love that John's global career started in Toronto. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood's biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart," as per the outlet.
According to the official logline, "it's the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures."
Amazon MGM is backing the film, which will debut on Prime Video in the fall.
"When you hear the name John Candy, your face lights up. He wasn't just a great actor; he was an even better person," Hanks and Reynolds said. "People loved his everyman qualities, but they didn't know how relatable John really was. He went through the same struggles we all do, except now we talk about them. We are incredibly honored to have gotten to know the man better through this process and to bring the real John Candy to audiences starting with his hometown of Toronto," reported Variety.
TIFF's lineup hasn't been released. This year's festival will take place from September 4-14.