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Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Breaks Out in Theaters With Daring DIY Flourishes

Strong word-of-mouth, reflected in a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, is turning the low-budget Canadian comedy into a theatrical sleeper.

Overview

  • Created by and starring Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, the feature expands their 2007 mockumentary and is now playing in theaters.
  • The story hinges on the duo pretending to be time travelers who end up in 2008, with scenes built from archival footage to let them interact with their younger selves.
  • The filmmakers describe a CN Tower sequence as a stealth shoot without permits that depicts a leap and skydive into a major baseball stadium, and they report hearing nothing from the tower since the film’s SXSW premiere.
  • Johnson and McCarrol say they relied on fair use for pop-culture nods, including unapproved Back to the Future references and a recreated Alan Silvestri–style score rather than the original.
  • They note the movie is hard to market and are leaning on trusted recommendations, while also revealing they have shot a third TV season drawn from a scrapped road-trip project.