TIFF reveals John Candy doc will open 2025 festival

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The Toronto International Film Festival will kick off its 2025 edition with a heartfelt documentary dedicated to the life and career of the late Canadian comedic icon John Candy.

Directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, John Candy: I Like Me will feature stories and memories from Candy’s family, closest friends, and longtime collaborators.

“Comedy fans all over the world grew up on John Candy’s humour,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “We love that John’s global career started in Toronto, and we can’t wait to share John Candy: I Like Me with everyone at this year’s Opening Night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart. For us, it’s the perfect way to kick off TIFF’s 50th edition.”

“When you hear the name John Candy, your face lights up,” Hanks and Reynolds said in a joint statement. “He wasn’t just a great actor; he was an even better person. People loved his everyman qualities, but they didn’t know how relatable John really was. He went through the same struggles we all do, except now we talk about them. We are incredibly honoured to have gotten to know the man better through this process and to bring the real John Candy to audiences starting with his hometown of Toronto.”

In a post shared with his more than 52 million Instagram followers, Reynolds said the release of the film will be part of a “global John Candy moment this fall.”

“As some of you know, I’ve included John Candy easter eggs in a lot of my films. Because his films and his life mean so much to me. Today is an emotional day,” he wrote in part.

The film, which will debut on Prime Video later this year, will give audience a glimpse into Candy’s life on-and-off the camera with Hanks getting access to never-before-seen home videos and candid recollections from the comedian’s collaborators and family.

“It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures,” reads a logline for the upcoming film.

In conjunction with the premiere, TIFF’s Film Reference Library will have a collection of objects related to Candy’s professional career and personal life from the 1970s to the early 1990s that has been donated by his wife Rose Candy.

Reynolds announced that work had begun on the doc back in 2022 telling his 21 million followers on X that he was big fan of the actor, who died of a suspected heart attack at the age 43 while filming Wagons East in 1994.

“With John Candy trending, I’ll just say I love him,” Reynolds wrote in a X post that generated nearly 16,000 likes. “So much so, @maximumeffort is working on a documentary on his life with @colinhanks. Expect tears.”

Reynolds has previously spoken about his love for Candy.

To mark the 25th anniversary of his death in 2019, the Deadpool star shared a montage of Candy’s screen roles calling him “a comedic genius and Canadian hero.”

The following year, Reynolds again paid tribute to Candy’s 20-year career on Instagram writing, “He always walked that tightrope between hilarious and heartbreaking. His movies mean so much to me. If you haven’t seen his work, check it out. He’s absolutely beautiful.”

Colin’s father Tom worked several times with Candy, appearing alongside the funnyman in 1984’s Splash and 1985’s Volunteers.

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs Sept. 4–14.

mdaniell@postmedia.com