Hot on the heels of a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ryan Reynolds confirmed that he’s going on a nationwide tour in support of Colin Hanks’ documentary John Candy: I Like Me.
Presented by Clearly Canadian and co-produced by Mills Entertainment and Reynolds’ Maximum Effort in partnership with the doc’s distributor Amazon MGM Studios, the tour will see the box office megastar showing up for special event screenings that will feature surprise guests and members of Candy’s inner circle including family and friends for moderated conversations. Live chats will be moderated by Dan Pasternak and Kevin McCarthy.
“Movies bring people together and millions of people came together to watch John Candy,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I am so excited to share our film on a big screen and to share the stage with some of the people who knew him best as they share their memories of the man.”
Reynolds added that he’s “honored” that the tour will have a philanthropic element in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which will receive net proceeds from each screening. Tour organizers also will be collaborating with local partners for each screening like film societies, festivals, sports clubs and other groups. Already lined up are link ups with Tribeca Festival, Second City, Film Independent, the Toronto Argonauts and others.
The tour comes ahead of the doc’s Prime Video launch on Oct. 10. Directed by Hanks, John Candy: I Like Me features never-before-seen archival footage, personal imagery and intimate interviews with A-list friends and collaborators that illuminate Candy’s life and career.
“John Candy represents the very best of Canadian culture — warmth, humor, authenticity and a generosity of spirit that touched people everywhere,” Clearly Canadian chief marketing officer Jennifer Blackburn said. “We see those same values reflected in our own story.”
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 10. A list of the tour dates is below.
• Sept. 23 – Ridgefield, CT – Prospector Theater
• Sept. 24 – Philadelphia, PA – Miller Theater in partnership with the Philadelphia Film Society
• Sept. 25 – New Brunswick, N.J. – State Theatre
• Oct. 2 – Los Angeles – The Montalbán in partnership with Film Independent
• Oct. 5 – Chicago – The Chicago Theatre in partnership with Chicago Underground Film Festival and The Second City
• Oct. 6 – Toronto – Queen Elizabeth Theatre in partnership with the Toronto Argonauts
• Oct. 8 – Brooklyn, N.Y. – Kings Theatre in partnership with the Tribeca Festival and the Second City
• Oct. 14 – Boston – Shubert Theatre in partnership with the Independent Film Festival of Boston
John Candy: I Like Me
Courtesy of TIFF