PARAMOUNT ACQUIRES RIGHTS FOR FREEDIVER
FROM SKYDANCE SPORTS AND PICTURESTART

Paramount Global Content Distribution Has Licensed the Documentary Film on Freediving Champion Alexey Molchanov, Produced by Skydance Sports, Picturestart, GQ Studios and Boardwalk Pictures in Multiple Markets          

November 8, 2024 - Los Angeles, CA – Paramount Global Content Distribution announced today that it has acquired the rights for the documentary feature Freediver which follows freediving champion Alexey Molchanov during his historic and dramatic 2023 competitive run. The film is directed, written and produced by Michael John Warren (Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza, Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known) and is a production from Skydance Sports, Picturestart, GQ Studios and Boardwalk Pictures. Through a licensing deal with Paramount Global Content Distribution, Freediver will be available on December 7, 2024 on Prime Video in the U.S. The film has also been licensed to Paramount+ in Canada and will be available on the same date. In Australia the film has been licensed to Foxtel, BINGE and Paramount+ and will be available in January as well as on Sky New Zealand’s Sky Movies in New Zealand in early 2025.

Based on the GQ article, “Secrets of the Deep,” the film follows Molchanov—the world's greatest living freediver and son of freediving pioneer Natalia Molchanova. After geopolitics forced him into exile, Molchanov spent 2023 on a journey to reclaim his athletic glory and honor his iconic mother's towering legacy by attempting the most dominant season in the history of the deadly sport. His near-suicidal quest to set five world records in under four months brings him to the farthest reaches of the globe and to the very edges of human performance. In the process, he’s forced to reevaluate the very skills on which he has built his entire life.

The film is produced by Picturestart, Skydance Sports, GQ Studios, and Boardwalk Pictures. Warren serves as a producer alongside Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey for Picturestart; David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports; Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, and Jordan Wynn for Boardwalk Pictures; Helen Estabrook, Sarah Amos, and Lexy Altman for GQ Studios, along with Katherine Dunn, Nan Sandle and Talin Middleton. Dan Marks, Jessica Switch, Royce Reeves-Darby, Lana Barkin, and Jonathan Hausfater serve as executive producers on the project.

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PARAMOUNT GLOBAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION
Paramount Global Content Distribution, a division of Paramount Global, is the leading distributor of premium content across multiple media platforms throughout the global marketplace. The division's portfolio is comprised of some of the world's most recognized brands, including feature films and television programs from Paramount Pictures, Republic Pictures, CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures, CBS News, SHOWTIME Studios, Nickelodeon, MTV Entertainment Studios, Miramax and third-party partners. The division also has the largest distributed library of series and film titles, including global franchises such as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "NCIS," "Star Trek," "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Transformers," "Mission: Impossible," and more. In addition, the division licenses a diverse lineup of scripted and unscripted formats for local production and international co-productions.

ABOUT SKYDANCE SPORTS
Skydance Sports, the joint venture between the NFL and Skydance, has quickly become the preeminent studio for leagues, teams, elite athletes and A-List Hollywood talent seeking to produce premium, sports-related entertainment.

Initially launched in 2021, the studio’s first two projects include the Sports Emmy-nominated docuseries Good Rivals and the critically acclaimed film Air which received two Golden Globe Award nominations including “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.” In 2022, Skydance partnered with the NFL and NFL Films on a joint venture to significantly expand multi-platform programming across sports in a broad range of formats for partners, fans, and viewers around the world. The partnership’s projects include the upcoming docuseries chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty and franchise owner Jerry Jones for Netflix, the Hallmark holiday movie Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma for Netflix, an untitled scripted series from creator Dan Fogelman for Hulu, and the documentary feature Freediver; as well as the recently released Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants for HBO as well as the Sports Emmy-nominated NFL Draft: The Pick Is In for The Roku Channel and Kelce for Prime Video which each broke records on their respective streamers upon release.

ABOUT PICTURESTART
PICTURESTART, which focuses on "discovery of voice" content and storytelling, is the media company founded by producer and former studio executive Erik Feig (TWILIGHT SAGA, LA LA LAND, THE HUNGER GAMES franchise). Launched in May 2019, PICTURESTART has a rich and diverse slate of film, TV, and audio projects. Among 10 films and four series produced or financed since launch are UNPREGNANT, on HBO Max in 2020; the 2022 Sundance Audience Award Winner CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (Apple TV+); this year’s Sundance US Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble winner THEATER CAMP (Searchlight Pictures); LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE (Netflix); SHARPER (Apple TV+) starring Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan; STRAYS (Universal); and AM I OK? (Max). Working with nearly every outlet from Warner Brothers to Netflix to Apple to Lionsgate; and with stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Mila Kunis, Julianne Moore, Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell, and Jamie Foxx, PICTURESTART is producing and shepherding such storied IP as GREASE, BORDERLANDS, and THE FUGITIVE, alongside original ideas from the top established and up and coming creatives in the business, and continuing its history of adaptations of New York Times bestsellers with such projects as Animorphs, GREAT CIRCLE, and RULES OF CIVILITY.

ABOUT BOARDWALK PICTURES
Boardwalk Pictures is an award-winning production company that creates non-fiction, character-driven entertainment for audiences across the globe. The company is best known for its many critically acclaimed and popular hits, including Chef’s Table, Netflix’s longest running original series, Welcome to Wrexham, Cheer, Pepsi Where’s My Jet, and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, among others. Boardwalk continues to push the boundaries of non-fiction storytelling while creating and producing some of today’s most recognizable series and films. To learn more about Boardwalk Pictures and the company’s work, visit boardwalkpics.com.

ABOUT GQ STUDIOS
GQ Studios is the film and television arm of GQ, the authority on men’s fashion, culture and style for more than 60 years. GQ Studios is the home for stylish storytelling that thrills, surprises, and inspires, including the Emmy-nominated Last Chance U.

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Paramount Global Content Distribution Press Contacts:

Jennifer Weingroff – Jennifer.Weingroff@cbs.com
Katie Tisherman – Katie.Tisherman@cbs.com