Kartemquin Films

Roger Ebert Documentary in the Works from Martin Scorsese and Steve James

Back in 1994, film critic Roger Ebert was one of the greatest champions of Hoop Dreams. He still is, actually. So it’s fitting that now the film’s director, Steve James, will be celebrating Ebert’s life in a new documentary produced by Kartemquin Films based on the memoir Life Itself.

Joining the Oscar-nominated filmmaker are none other than his fellow 2011 DGA Award nominee Martin Scorsese as executive producer and Schindler’s List screenwriter Steven Zaillian, whose only doc credits so far have been thank yous from the makers of The Cove and Anvil!

For Criticwire, former Ebert Presents At the Movies critic Matt Singer shares a comment on the news from the subject-to-be:

“This dropped out of the blue. They say they have a good idea for an approach. I believe Steve James’ ‘Hoop Dreams’ is one of the greatest documentaries ever made, and my hopes for this are so high. I never thought of my book as a doc. I’m keeping hands off any involvement, such as with the screenplay, because I don’t want to be a third wheel. Whatever they do I will be fascinated.”

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