A documentary on the late Andy Kaufman will receive a limited release in theatres next month.
After premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023, “Thank You Very Much” profiling the late comedian found a distributor in Drafthouse Films and is set for release on March 28.
It already received acclaim by being named best documentary film at the Venice Festival.
Those interviewed in the doc include former Taxi castmates Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner, and long-time friend and business partner Bob Zmuda.
The trailer includes several pro wrestling scenes from his time moonlighting in the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) out of Memphis, Tennessee.
Kaufman initially pitched his concept to Vince McMahon Sr. but was passed on. Photographer Bill Apter placed Kaufman in touch with Jerry Lawler and opened the door for their famous angle.
Kaufman began in the territory in late 1981 where he wrestled women until gaining the attention of Lawler which led to their showdown on April 5, 1982, at the Mid-South Coliseum. The match ended with Kaufman taking a piledriver and leaving on a stretcher.
It received national attention when the pair appeared on Late Night with David Letterman where Lawler slapped Kaufman, and the comedian returned to the set and delivered a profanity-laced tirade. For years, the two kept the details under wraps before Lawler openly talked about it being a work.
Kaufman loved professional wrestling and continued to work in Memphis off and on through the end of 1983 before his death at the age of 35 in May 1984.
In 1999, Jim Carrey portrayed Kaufman in “Man on the Moon”, which featured Lawler playing himself and Jim Ross playing the role of Lance Russell. They attempted to garner publicity for the film with stories of Carrey morphing into Kaufman on set and conveying tensions on set between Carrey and Lawler. This dynamic was depicted in the 2017 documentary “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond”, which was directed by Chris Smith (the same director of the Mr. McMahon series on Netflix).
In 2023, Jimmy Hart & Jerry Lawler inducted Kaufman into the WWE Hall of Fame
