Tampa entrepreneur Nick Friedman is no stranger to the spotlight. The co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, Friedman has spent the past 21 years turning the moving company he launched with his childhood friend into a national franchise with nearly 200 locations across the U.S. and Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, though,Friedman is stepping behind the camera to help tell one of the most ambitious stories in modern business history: he is serving as executive producer and appearing on screen in \u201cElon,\u201d a new feature film exploring the rise of tech billionaire Elon Musk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The film traces Musk\u2019s journey from a young immigrant entrepreneur to one of the most influential \u2014 and controversial \u2014 figures of the 21st century. “Elon” tells the story of Tesla\u2019s volatile early years, when the company\u2019s survival repeatedly hung in the balance, according to a statement.<\/p>\n
The first trailer for the film was released Thursday ahead of the film\u2019s limited theatrical release this fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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For Friedman, the project represents a natural extension of his lifelong fascination with entrepreneurship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat drew me to this story was the entrepreneurial journey,\u201d Friedman says in the release. \u201cAt its core, this isn\u2019t just a film about Elon Musk. It\u2019s a film about conviction, resilience, resourcefulness and what it takes to pursue an idea when almost everyone tells you it can\u2019t be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
The film is produced by entrepreneur and filmmaker Armando Gutierrez, who also stars as Elon Musk. It\u2019s a story of high-stakes battles, near-bankruptcy moments, leadership conflicts and a relentless pursuit of innovation, the release says, and comes at a time of continued global interest in the man behind the business empire that is at the front of the line on artificial intelligence and innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether you admire Elon Musk, disagree with him, or simply find him fascinating, it\u2019s impossible to deny his impact on modern history,\u201d Gutierrez says in the release. \u201cThis film focuses on the entrepreneur before the mythology \u2014 the risk-taker who repeatedly bet everything on a vision that many believed would fail.\u201d<\/p>\n