Stuntman (2018 film)
Stuntman is a 2018 American documentary film, written and directed by Kurt Mattila. The events of the movie follow stunt performer Eddie Braun's recreation of Robert "Evel" Knievel's failed Skycycle X-2 jump over Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Originally released at the 2018 LA Film Festival in September of the same year by Endeavor Content, the film's wide-release was distributed by The Walt Disney Company through their Disney+ streaming service as a Disney+ Original on July 23, 2021. Premise. With no financial support from any industry, stunt perfumer Eddie Braun sets out to  honor the legacy of his childhood idol, Evel Knievel. After the opportunity arises to jump the Snake River Canyon, Braun spends his life savings on his life-long dream. Enlisting the help of Scott Truax, the son of the original NASA rocket scientist who build Knievel's steam-powered rocket, the pair alongside the film crew experience and emotional journey unlike anything they've previously experienced. Production. Initially announced in July 2018 as one of the featured documentaries at the year's Los Angeles Film Festival, the official release date was confirmed later that September. Described as an action movie -documentary, the film portrays the 55-year-old's attempts to complete a stunt that his childhood hero failed. Created and directed by Kurt Mattila, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia served as executive producers, along with Alexander Dervin, Julie Benson, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, and Kelly Knievel (Evel’s son). The project was a joint-venture production with a partnership between Driven Pictures and Seven Bucks Productions. Johnson stated, “I’ve been lucky to work with some amazing stunt performers over the course of my career, the entire stunt community is the backbone of our business." Garcia stated that the  film is "a powerful experience that exposes the level of passion and fearlessness required by these invaluable stunt actors." Endeavor Content handled distribution at the film festival. In July 2021, following The Walt Disney Company's purchase of world-wide distribution, a new poster was released alongside the debut of the first official trailer. In comparison, Disney's version is concise and streamlined, while also not including the production details of the film as LAFF's did towards the bottom. Release. The film premiered at the 2018 LA Film Festival on September 23, 2018. In June 2021, it was announced  that The Walt Disney Company had purchased distribution rights and would be releasing the film as a Disney+ Original. "Stuntman" is scheduled for a July 23, 2021 release date. Reception. During its initial release, the movie received the Audience Award at LAFF.