Andre 3000’s passion project All Is By My Side, in which he plays Jimi Hendrix, has found a North American distributor in Open Road after its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film was screened in Toronto earlier this week and while moviegoers stood in a long line to see it, the film did not immediately attract attention from distributors. Then on Thursday, Deadline reported that Open Road, along with XLator Media, had secured the North American distribution rights.
“We are excited to partner with XLator to bring this sensational story to moviegoers across the country. From director/screenwriter John Ridley’s incredible vision, Andre Benjamin gives a mesmerizing performance as legendary Jimi Hendrix,” Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg stated.
The film was written and directed by John Ridley and stars OutKast’s Andre 3000, whose real last name is Benjamin, as the iconic guitarist. Since the film is more of an origin movie - tracing Hendrix’s journey to London and putting the Jimi Hendrix Experience together - Ridley was able to make a film about Hendrix without using any of his famous songs.
Instead, the soundtrack focuses on songs that inspired him and that he performed before he became well-known. In fact the Jimi Hendrix estate distanced itself from the film, a stance that has derailed other Hendrix projects in the past. But Ridley pressed on and critics gave it positive reviews at Toronto.
Open Road did not announce a release date for All Is By My Side.
image: TIFF.net