In an announcement made by Showtime Networks’ Vinnie Malhotra this week, Showtime Documentary Films has acquired the worldwide rights to The One and Only Dick Gregory, the directorial debut of producer Andre Gaines.

The documentary will chronicle the life and impact of the titular activist and pop-culture icon and will feature archival footage of his early career as a comedian, as well as interviews from Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes and W. Kamau Bell and more.

“Dick Gregory is as present to me now as he was when I first started filming him six years ago – a trivial length of time when compared to the nearly six decades that this one man so greatly influenced American history, comedy, activism, and nutrition,” said Gaines. “He emptied himself completely for the movement, and while the enormity of his sacrifices are rarely acknowledged, he gave every artist a master class for what it truly means to both entertain and educate. Knowing Dick Gregory was a transformative experience that not only influenced the making of this film, but me as a man. Vinnie and the team at SHOWTIME have been incredible partners to help bring this timely story to the world, and I cannot wait for Dick Gregory to finally get his due.”

The One and Only Dick Gregory will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, June 19 as part of the festival’s inaugural Juneteenth programming slate, and will premiere SHOWTIME premiere on Sunday, July 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Watch the first clip for The One and Only Dick Gregory below:

This film is Cinemation Studios production, written and directed by Gaines, and produced by Gaines and Valerie Edwards. It is executive produced by Kevin Hart and Bryan Smiley for Hartbeat Productions, Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani for Hillman Grad Productions, and Christian Gregory, Chad Troutwine and Matt Rachamkin.

Andre Gaines

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