Following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, five-time Emmy nominee Chris Smith’s documentary “Sr.”, an affectionate tribute to maverick filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., will head to Netflix.
The documentary is a lovingly irreverent portrait of the life and career of maverick filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. that quickly devolves into a meditation on art, mortality, and healing generational dysfunction.
Team Downey and Netflix previously collaborated on the fantasy series Sweet Tooth which is heading into its second season.
“Sr.” is the latest project in Smith’s continuing collaborations with Netflix following Bad Vegan, Operation Varsity Blues, Fyre, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, and more.
“Sr.” will be released on Netflix later this year and is a co-production between Team Downey and Library Films.
Producers Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey said, “We’re grateful to have Netflix partner with us on this highly personal project. They’re the ideal home for our unconventional, oft absurd, brutally in-depth homage.”
Director Chris Smith said, “On the first day of filming, Sr. said “trust anything, and anything can happen” – and that ended up being the guiding light for the project. What started as a straightforward documentary quickly devolved into anything but. Knowing what I know now, it’s really the only way you could attempt to make something on the two Downeys. Larger than life, but open and human as ever, it was such a pleasure and life-affirming experience to try to capture some glimpses of the highs, lows, and everything in-between.”
“Sr.” is set to screen at the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2022, with an encore screening on October 11, 2022.
