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We all knew this day was coming. With the film world hungry for failed tech fodder on the heels of titles like The Drop Out and WeCrashed, some producer was bound to hit upon BlackBerry on the way to the inevitable 20-part Juicero miniseries.
The beloved and beleaguered smartphone firm formerly known as Research in Motion has become fodder for a new film, simply titled “BlackBerry,” which recently wrapped up shooting in the company’s native Canada. Variety was first to note that the film, based on the 2015 book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry,” has announced two of its leads.
Glenn Howerton has been cast as former BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie, which could explain the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star’s shaved head on that show’s companion podcast. Canadian Judd Apatow acolyte Jay Baruchel plays co-founder Mike Lazaridis, per the report. Cary Elwes also features in the film from Toronto-born director Matt Johnson.
“BlackBerry is the kind of movie I never thought I could make in this country, but it’s a bright new day for Canadian film,” Johnson told The Globe and Mail. “Bold, director-driven cinema is back with the full force of the 1980s.”
There’s certainly plenty of drama to draw on. The company has a fascinating decades-long history, from its growth into the default handset for business people and presidents to its slow, post-iPhone demise. And none of our thumbs would ever be the same. Likely its more recent years as a security and car software firm will be a footnote, at best.
No release date has been announced.
