Showtime has released the trailer for an upcoming documentary called Belushi, which will explore the Animal House star's career and untimely death. John Belushi was one of the original seven cast members on Saturday Night Live and remains a household name for his classic sketch characters and larger-than-life personality.
Belushi will premiere on Showtime November 22 at 9 p.m. The documentary will chronicle Belushi's early life, meteoric rise, and struggles with drug use at the height of his career. The movie is directed by R.J. Cutler, who is credited with political documentaries including the Oscar-nominated The War Room and A Perfect Candidate, as well as the heady teen romance If I Stay with Chloë Grace Moretz more recently. You can watch the trailer from Showtime below:
An authorized documentary about one of the most beloved performers of all time is long overdue. Hopefully, this one will honor Belushi's memory appropriately. Pisano has criticized other biographies about the actor including the biopic Wired, which Belushi's Blues Brothers co-star Dan Aykroyd also denounced. With Pisano's permission and input from those close to Belushi, Cutler's documentary promises to portray the legendary performer as he truly was rather than sensationalize his addiction or merely praise his professional achievements.
Cutler interviewed a number of Belushi's co-stars and collaborators at SNL and beyond for the documentary, including Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Harold Ramis, John Landis, Penny Marshall, and Ivan Reitman. The director also unearthed audio from Carrie Fisher and never-before-heard recordings in the process. The documentary is the first movie about Belushi's life authorized by his beloved widow Judy Belushi Pisano.
Source: Showtime