Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser has joined the Oscar-nominated short documentary Saving Superman as an executive producer, Variety can exclusively reveal.
“Saving Superman” chronicles the remarkable true story of Jonathan, a 57-year-old man with autism spectrum disorder who has lived for many years in Glen Ellyn, a small suburb on the outskirts of Chicago. Known for his extraordinary spirit and iconic Superman persona, Jonathan has been a staple of the town’s Fourth of July parade for nearly 30 years. When his home is threatened by a new property owner, a community led by his best friend Julie band together to start a grassroots movement to save the house.
The Critics’ Choice Documentary Award-winning short directed by Adam Oppenheim and Samuel Ali Mirpoulyan was released today by Switchboard Magazine and is now available to stream for free on the outlet’s website.
“Jonathan is a hero to look for, and he is the man we need,” Fraser said in a statement. “It is said that not all of them wear the cape, but this player does. And we see him stand his ground with dignity, presenting a vision of crimson and azure determination. He not only saves his homeland from indifference, but also stands up for truth and justice. In the name of saving us all, not with violent force, but with the only real superpower there is: empathy. That is the clarion call that I stand with Jonathan.”
Fraser was involved in the project because he himself is in the Oscar race as a Best Actor nominee for his moving role in Hikari’s critically acclaimed drama “The Rental Family.” The film, distributed by Searchlight Pictures, has previously won several audience awards on the film festival circuit and marks another prestigious outing for the actor, who won his first Oscar for his performance in The Whales (2022).
The documentary is one of the most celebrated short films on the film festival circuit, screening at over 60 film festivals, including 18 Oscar selection events, and winning over 10 awards, the most of any short documentary that year. Notable venues include Chicago International Film Festival, Indie Shorts (which won Jury Honors), Mountain Film, Cleveland International, and DOC NYC.
Produced by Oppenheim, Mirpoulian and Julie Spiller, Saving Superman also includes executive producers Celia Aniskovic and Duncan Lindsay (Switchboard Magazine), John Hoffman (The Barber of Little Rock), Ryan Maisey, Marjon Djawadi, Mike Tudeen, Marcella Tudeen, Steven Shaya and Gary Burkhart.
Earlier this year, Mirpoulyan received a Television Academy Honorary Award for his feature debut, “Greener Pastures,” which aired as part of PBS’s Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning “Independent Lens” series.
