Waltzing With Brando’Trailer:Billy Zane Transforms Into ‘Godfather’-Era Marlon Brando

The first trailer has been revealed showing Billy Zane as Marlon Brando at the peak of his powers in upcoming biopic “Waltzing With Brando.”

The feature, which also stars Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Blades of Glory”), has been picked up by VMI Worldwide for foreign sales.

Written and directed by Bill Fishman (“Tapeheads,” “Car 54,” “My Dinner with Jimi”), the film is based on a memoir by Bernard Judge which takes place between 1969 and 1974 while Brando was preparing to film “The Godfather” and “Last Tango in Paris.” Alongside Zane and Heder, additional castmembers include the Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, as well as Camille Razat (“Emily in Paris”), Alaina Huffman (“The Perfection,” “Smallville”), Tia Carrera (“Waynes World”) and Mick Jagger’s son James Jagger (“Vinyl,” “The Outpost”).

“Waltzing With Brando” follows Brando (Zane) — then the most famous actor in the world — as he filmed “Mutiny on the Bounty” and bought a tiny and uninhabitable island in Tahiti. His intent was to escape his hectic Hollywood lifestyle and show the world the path to sustainability. To achieve this goal he plucks Judge (Heder), an obscure but idealistic Los Angeles architect, from his stable existence and convinces him that together they could could build the world’s first truly sustainable ecological retreat.

The film was produced by Dean Bloxom, Fishman and Zane as well as Doug Dearth and Brett Kerr and is set to be the closing night at film festivals including the Torino Film Festival and the Tahoe Film Festival.

The deal was negotiated by Andre Relis of VMI Worldwide and producer Dean Bloxom. VMI Worldwide is handling foreign sales and introducing the project to buyers at the American Film Market.