Weinsteins Pick Up Pat Tillman Documentary "The Tillman Story" at Sundance

By our guest blogger, Lita Robinson

The Weinstein Company has purchased the rights to Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary “The Tillman Story,” which premiered recently to a warm reception at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. IndieWire is reporting that Harvey Weinstein acquired rights to the film from A&E IndieFilms, having already made another big purchase when he snagged the rights to festival darling, “Blue Valentine.”

Tillman was an NFL star before enlisting in the Marines in the aftermath of 9/11. His death in Afghanistan in 2004 was at first treated as a result of enemy fire, for which he was awarded the prestigious Silver Star. However, after the facts didn’t seem to add up a congressional investigation was opened, and it turned out that Tillman’s death was actually the result of a tragic incident of friendly fire. The documentary focuses on the struggles that Tillman’s family endured as they objected to the way that the U.S. government used Tillman’s story to its own advantage.

A release date has yet to be announced.