Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” a documentary which offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of “Man on the Moon.”
The VICE Documentary Films production premiered at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. Using 100 hours of footage shot on the set of “Man on the Moon,” director Chris Smith chronicles Carrey’s transformation into Kaufman for four months.
Spike Jonze and VICE Films’ Danny Gabai and Brendan Fitzgerald produced the film.
In 1999, Milos Forman cast Carrey to play cult comedian Kaufman in his biopic, “Man on the Moon.” According to the release, he never broke character on set and he was referred to by the crew as either “Andy” or “Tony,” referring to Tony Clifton, Kaufman’s obnoxious lounge singer alter ego.
Carrey earned critical acclaim for his performance as well as a Golden Globe. However, most of Carrey’s most Kaufman-esque moments were captured behind the scenes, thanks to Kaufman’s former girlfriend, Lynne Marguilies, and former writing partner, Bon Zmuda. In “Jim & Andy,” Carrey looks back at the footage 18 years later.
“For almost two decades this brilliant performance from Jim Carrey has resonated with audiences and fans of Kaufman’s, but the story behind the film – a true piece of entertainment history has remained largely unknown,” said Lisa Nishimura, VP of Original Documentaries for Netflix. “Chris Smith and Spike Jonze have masterfully unearthed and explored Jim’s complex and artful creative process, hurling audiences right into the mind of a genius.”