Paramount Acquires ‘Freediver’ Documentary (EXCLUSIVE)
Paramount Global Content Distribution has acquired the rights for the documentary feature “Freediver,” which follows freediving champion Alexey Molchanov during his historic and dramatic 2023 competitive run.
The film is directed, written and produced by Michael John Warren (“Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza,” “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known”) and is a production from Skydance Sports, Picturestart, GQ Studios and Boardwalk Pictures.
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Based on the GQ article, “Secrets of the Deep,” the film follows Molchanov, the world’s greatest living freediver and son of freediving pioneer Natalia Molchanova. After geopolitics forced him into exile, Molchanov spent 2023 on a journey to reclaim his athletic glory and honor his iconic mother’s towering legacy by attempting the most dominant season in the history of the deadly sport. His near-suicidal quest to set five world records in under four months brings him to the farthest reaches of the globe and to the very edges of human performance. In the process, he’s forced to reevaluate the very skills on which he has built his entire life.
Through a licensing deal with Paramount, Freediver will be available on Dec. 7, 2024 on Prime Video in the U.S. The film has also been licensed to Paramount+ in Canada and will be available on the same date. In Australia, “the”Freediver” has been licensed to Foxtel, BINGE and Paramount+ and will also be available in January on Sky New Zealand’s Sky Movies in early 2025.
The film is produced by Picturestart, Skydance Sports, GQ Studios, and Boardwalk Pictures. Warren serves as a producer alongside Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey for Picturestart; David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports; Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, and Jordan Wynn for Boardwalk Pictures; Helen Estabrook, Sarah Amos, and Lexy Altman for GQ Studios, along with Katherine Dunn, Nan Sandle and Talin Middleton. Dan Marks, Jessica Switch, Royce Reeves-Darby, Lana Barkin, and Jonathan Hausfater serve as executive producers on the project.
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