VMI Worldwide, which is a film production and finance company, is set to venture into United States distribution territory with Defining Moments, a comedy starring the late great Burt Reynolds in his final film. It is written and directed by Stephen Wallis, who wrote the 2015 horror The Wicked Within, and also stars Sienna Guillory and Graham Greene. It will hit theaters as well as VOD on August 27th, 2021.
“Film distribution remains a complex space to navigate, particularly amidst this pandemic and the ever-changing landscape,” VMI Worldwide CEO Andre Relis said as reported by Deadline. “We are thrilled to have Kendall Anlian join our team to lead the distribution venture. Her storied experience and forward-thinking acumen are the exact combinations to successfully manage the distribution channels for our films and filmmaker partners. Anlian is president of NELA media and head of this new U.S. venture.
Reynolds, known for comedy classics such as Smokey and the Bandit and Boogie Nights, the latter which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 1998 Academy Awards (Robin Williams won for Good Will Hunting), passed away in 2018, preventing him from starring in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (the role later went to Bruce Dern). It is only fitting that his final film is a comedy, he plays an aging father, and a father figure he was to generations of actors to come.