Phase 4 Films Picks Up Alex Gibney's Hockey Documentary 'The Last Gladiators'

Phase 4 Films has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to Alex Gibney’s The Last Gladiators, which looks at the career of the National Hockey League's Chris "Knuckles" Nilan. The distributor plans to release the film in Canada in October, followed by a U.S. rollout in early 2013. Nilan is expected to participate in audience discussions at select engagements of the film.

Larry Weitzman, Jim Podhoretz and Gibney crafted the screenplay and produced the project, which is a Jigsaw Production in association with Northern Lights Hockey. Barry Reese, Donald “Dee” Rizzo, Michael Messner, George Gund and Robert J. Brooks executive produced the film, which premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

“We are thrilled to team up with Alex Gibney to provide audiences with an opportunity to see behind the curtain of the NHL. The Last Gladiators is an incredibly inspiring, introspective and entertaining film that you will think about for a long time," Barry Meyerowitz, president and CEO of Phase 4, said.

The deal was negotiated by Phase 4’s Larry Greenberg and Sam Posner with Josh Braun from Submarine and Anne Atkinson from Pryor Cashman on behalf of the filmmakers.