Richard Simmons To Be Portrayed By Pauly Shore In A New Biopic

(CTN News) – The upcoming biopic about fitness icon Richard Simmons will star Pauly Shore as the actor and comedian.

The Wolper Organization, a Warner Bros. subsidiary, is currently developing the film, with additional casting taking place. Richard Simmons posted on social media that he had never “permitted this movie.”

It follows a short film by director and writer Jake Lewis about Simmons.

The film will premiere at Sundance on January 19, and it stars Shore as Richard Simmons, Tamra Brown as Ellen DeGeneres, and Jesse Heiman as David, a television producer who lost 160 pounds thanks to Simmons, and who kept up with his weight loss journey on the blog “Keep It Up David!” “The Court Jester” will be available worldwide on YouTube as soon as it premieres in Park City.

According to Shore, he is excited to share Richard Simmons’s life with the world. “This biopic is more important now than ever before. In addition to his genuine silly self, Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape, and getting people in shape! His appearances were always full of joy, so it was always a fun time.”

One of the biggest fitness celebrities and exercise gurus ever, Richard Simmons frequently appeared on talk shows including “Late Night With David Letterman,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and “The Howard Stern Show.”

His flamboyant, eccentric personality and successful aerobics videos made him a household name. Richard Simmons later became a political activist, advocating for a bill that requires noncompetitive physical education in public schools.

After mysteriously disappearing from public view in 2014, his fans and followers became concerned. He told “Today” in 2016 that “no one holds me hostage in my house” and that he simply prefers privacy.

“There is an amazing, dramatic, and uplifting story to be told about Richard Richard Simmons,” says Mark Wolper of The Wolper Organization. With over 50 years of experience making historical dramas and biopics, we know what works.

Several months ago, when I saw the press about Pauly Shore being touted by social media as the ONLY person who could play Richard, the idea coalesced. They both lived or died by how the world saw them, they both fought to give their fans what they wanted, and they both deserve an amazing comeback story!

We are in serious discussions with a major writer to develop this as a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the style of “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Two Academy Awards, 50 Emmy Awards, and seven Golden Globe Awards have been won by the Wolper Organization. Studios responsible for “Roots,” “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” “L.A. Confidential,” among others.

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