David Farnor | On 10, Mar 2016

Netflix has acquired Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru for global distribution this July.

The documentary, from director Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the Paradise Lost Trilogy, Brother’s Keeper), follows world-renowned life coach, business strategist and best-selling author Tony Robbins.

Annually, more than 200,000 people attend one of Robbins’ programs, but once a year, an ambitious 2,500 people from around the globe make the journey to Florida to attend his most intimate and intensive instruction. Over six days and nights, he pushes his conference participants past their limits into an examination of their true identity, core emotions, intimate relationships, and the driving force behind all their actions.

The film goes behind the scenes of this “mega annual seminar”, Date With Destiny, the first time Robbins has allowed a crew to film the event as well as its production.

The movie marks Berlinger’s 12th feature documentary, which he says aims “to share a profound experience” that he himself underwent.

“While the event itself may not be for everyone, I hope my approach will help audiences think about the nature of their own lives as they witness the transformations of the characters in the film,” he comments.

“While seemingly a departure from the themes found in my other work, this film is actually very much a look at social issues but from a personal point of view. I believe there would be significantly less trouble in the world if people were self-actualized and connected to who they really are.”

“We’re pleased to provide a platform to showcase Joe’s masterful and disruptive storytelling to our subscribers around the world,” adds Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming. “No matter what he chooses to turn his lens on, he continues to challenge audiences to think about things differently. His immersive and open-minded approach to this film is sure to touch viewers deeply.”

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru will have its official World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on 14th March 2016. It will premiere on Netflix around the world on Friday 15th July. The deal marks the streaming giant’s ongoing strategy to acquire documentary movies for distribution, with previous Netflix documentaries What Happened, Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire, Virunga and The Square all earning Academy Award nominations.

Photo: SXSW

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