The Toronto International Film Festival has announced the Opening Night Gala of its 2025 edition, which will feature Colin Hanks's documentary John Candy: I Like Me.
Produced by Ryan Reynolds, the doc is a tribute to the titular comedian featuring many of Candy's closest friends and collaborators, as well as never-before-seen home videos.
"Comedy fans all over the world grew up on John Candy's humour," TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement. "We love that John's global career started in Toronto, and we can't wait to share John Candy: I Like Me with everyone at this year's Opening Night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood's biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart. For us, it's the perfect way to kick off TIFF's 50th edition."
In a joint statement, director Hanks and producer Reynolds said, "When you hear the name John Candy, your face lights up. He wasn't just a great actor; he was an even better person. People loved his everyman qualities, but they didn't know how relatable John really was. He went through the same struggles we all do, except now we talk about them. We are incredibly honoured to have gotten to know the man better through this process and to bring the real John Candy to audiences starting with his hometown of Toronto."
After John Candy: I Like Me's TIFF premiere, the film will make its global debut this fall on Prime Video.