Most folks would recognize actor Michael J. Fox from his memorable roles in movies like Back to the Future and TV shows like Family Ties. But many also know him from his long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Apple said Wednesday it has a new nonfiction film about Fox’s remarkable life in production — but as of yet untitled — with an Oscar-winning filmmaker at the helm.
Untitled Apple TV+ film will tell the story of actor Michael J. Fox’s life
Apple said Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman) is directing the as-yet-untitled feature film, currently in production in New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver.
The movie will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements. It will recount Fox’s story in his own words, telling the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood.
In the film, an account of the popular actor’s public life will unspool alongside his never-before-seen private journey, Apple said. That will include, of course, the years following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease at age 29.
‘Unprecedented’ access to Fox and his family
Apple called the film intimate and honest. It’s produced “with unprecedented access to Fox and his family.” Chronicling Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, the film will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.
Concordia Studio produces the movie. Guggenheim, Annetta Marion, Will Cohen and Jonathan King serve as producers. Laurene Powell Jobs, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott and Fox’s producing partner Nelle Fortenberry are executive producers. The project marks the second partnership between Apple and Concordia after the Emmy Award-winning documentary Boys State.
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 243 wins and 963 awards nominations.
Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $4.99 a month with a seven-day free trial.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
