Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution arm of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, is excited to announce the acquisition of North American VOD rights for the captivating documentary Wild Genius. The film will be available for rent or purchase on all major digital HD platforms, including internet, cable, and satellite, as well as on DVD, starting September 20, 2024.
Wild Genius delves into the extraordinary life and groundbreaking career of Robert Trivers, the evolutionary biologist whom TIME magazine hailed as “one of the greatest scientists of the 20th Century.”
The documentary traces Trivers’ journey from his early years and struggles with mental health to his transformative work in the 1970s, which challenged existing scientific paradigms, and his unique collaboration with Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton. Filmed across locations in New Jersey, Germany, and Jamaica, Wild Genius is more than just a biography—it’s a deep exploration into human nature and evolution, as decoded by one of the field’s most innovative minds. Robert Trivers is not merely a figure in science; he represents a revolution in thought.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Susan Kucera (Living in the Future’s Past, Hot Money), Wild Genius is written by Bruce Hood and produced by Jim Swift of Rangeland Productions. The documentary features original music by Grammy-nominated producer Michael Ruff (Bonnie Raitt, Steve Nicks, Doobie Brothers) and award-winning musician Eric Gilliom, with sound design by Grammy Award-winner Ken Polk. In addition to Robert Trivers, the film includes insights from other esteemed figures such as Steven Pinker, Sarah Hrdy, Joseph L. Graves, Mark Plotkin, and Laurie Santos.
Filmmaker Susan Kucera shared her inspiration for the documentary: “I discovered Robert Trivers through a New York Times book review of Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life, and I was instantly fascinated. Learning more about him, I quickly realized that he was a rock star in his field. Reaching out to him about the film project, I found Bob to be refreshingly blunt, with a disarming sense of humor and a bold intellect. This made for a lively and compelling film that pushes the boundaries of self-reflection and explores profound questions like: why do we deceive ourselves?”
Freestyle Digital Media secured the rights to Wild Genius through a deal negotiated by Tiffany Boyle and Sean Pope at Ramo Law, representing Rangeland Productions.
