Editorial Staff
London based production, sales, and distribution company Evolutionary Films is excited to announce a collaboration with Doc to Films, Golden Horde Pictures, and Renaissance Films on the dramatic narrative feature film “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Robert Stillman founder of Doc to Films and Golden Horde, and Jonathan Evans of Renaissance Films will produce with partner Anthony Joblin, alongside John Adams and Diane Shorthouse of Evolutionary Films. Shooting is planned for late 2018 in the UK, with a screenplay by Mark St. Germain, winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award, and playwright of “Freud’s Last Session” winner of the 2011 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play, Entertainment attorney Vinca Jarrett, long time legal counsel to the film, packaged the project, putting together the team of co-producing partners, and is set to executive produce the project.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” is based on the inspirational life of Jonny Kennedy, who suffered from a rare inherited condition known as dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (EB or DEB), a skin disorder, which caused his skin to fall off at the slightest touch, and effects an estimated half million people globally. Despite his condition, Jonny left an imprint on the lives of his friends, family and the world that continues to inspire and last beyond his lifetime. defying all expectations, Jonny lived against all odds, when he should have died; laughed when he should have cried; and touched the lives of everyone around him through his sharp, outrageous humour and exploits from skydiving to motor racing and, most adventurous of all, falling in love. “Johnny’s life is a story of hope within the worst of circumstances, optimism in spite of the obstacles, and the dignity of life even within the cruelest of conditions.” says lead creative producer, Robert Stillman, “ I think it can inspire people globally to be better, try harder, and make a difference.”
Jonny Kennedy’s fame in the UK led him to meet and befriend such notables as prize fighter Sir Henry Cooper, TV host Anthea Turner, and even Princess Diana. Hedied on a train returning from a meeting at 10 Downing Street with the then Prime Minister’s wife, Cherie Blair.. At the time he was being filmed for the BAFTA Award and International Emmy Award winning documentary “The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off”, which documented the final months of Jonny’s life. Directed by Patrick Collerton of Yipp Films, the documentary has been part of the inspiration behind the upcoming narrative feature “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Mark Lawson of “the Guardian” described the doc, ultimately sold to more than 60 countries, as “…a tribute to an original, witty, bloody-minded man who was unlucky in everything except his personality and his family.”
New information about Jonny surfaced during the writing of the screenplay uncovered by Stillman and St. Germain on a trip to Northern England, and the narrative feature focuses on Jonny’s story in ways fans of the documentary will never see coming. One of Jonny Kennedy’s favourite bands was Queen, and at his funeral, the Queen song “Don’t Stop Me Now” was played in front of a congregation that included a wealth of friends, celebrities and influential figures from British society. Jonny’s story is one that is simultaneously uplifting yet confounding – a celebration of a life lived to the fullest. Jonathan Evans noted, “It’s rare that a quintessentially British story has the power to move audience across the world. So is the case with Don’t Stop Me Now, the story which connected globally in the original documentary, and moving forward our feature film will have the chance to really get inside the life journey of the truly inspirational Jonny Kennedy. Renaissance is thrilled to be working with partners of the calibre of Doc to Films, Evolutionary Films, and Vinca Jarrett.”
“We’re very excited to be working with such a talented team on this inspirational, emotive and engaging film, which has such wide reaching appeal and awards potential. Jonny’s story is one that touched the nation in 2004 and we’re confident that this project will attract the very best creative and acting talent the UK has to offer to ensure that the film we bring to market in 2019 is of the highest production value,” said Evolutionary Films CEO, John Adams. “We closed the deals on Valentine’s Day 2018, and all believe that Jonny’s message of love will carry this production forward with a strong production team with collective aspirations to make this movie the right way. My client, Rob Stillman, has had that vision from the start, and it has kept us moving forward to this point,” adds Attorney Jarrett.
