Indie distributor The Orchard finished first in the hunt for North American rights to “Hurley,” a documentary about a queer race car driver who kept his sexuality a secret over much of his lengthy career.
Directed by Derek Dodge and executive produced by “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey, the doc premiered at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival earlier this year and will hit theaters sometime in 2019.
“Hurley” follows Hurley Haywood, a successful endurance sports car racing driver who hid his homosexuality in a culture of toxic masculinity amid the bravado of auto sports.
“Hurley the person and ‘Hurley’ the movie are one and the same — inspiring, surprising and a window into a world many haven’t traversed,” Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP Film and Television, said in a statement.”
Dempsey said he’s “thrilled that people are going to get an opportunity to learn about Hurley Haywood and his remarkable career on and off the track.”
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Dempsey is a racer in his own right, as a partner in the Dempsey-Proton racing team that has competed in more than 60 events like the Grand-Am, ALMS and the World Endurance Championship.
Andrew Borden, Manager of Acquisitions at The Orchard, negotiated on behalf of the distributor and UTA Independent Film Group repped the filmmakers.
The Orchard’s recent releases include Bart Layton’s crime thriller “American Animals” starring Evan Peters and Jeremiah Zagar’s Sundance favorite “We The Animals.”
Upcoming titles include Marvel star Karen Gillan’s directorial debut “The Party’s Just Beginning,” the Oscar hopeful “Birds of Passage,” Eva Vives’ “All About Nina” and Luis Ortega’s “El Angel.”
