BuzzFeed’s Much Delayed ‘Brother Orange’ Documentary Picked Up by Gravitas Ventures (EXCLUSIVE)

As an avid admirer of captivating tales that transcend geographical boundaries and cultural barriers, I find the story of Matt Stopera and Brother Orange to be nothing short of extraordinary. The friendship that blossomed from an unlikely turn of events, propelled by a stolen phone, is a testament to the power of human connection in today’s digital age.


Gravitas Ventures gains global distribution privileges for the BuzzFeed Studios-produced documentary titled “Brother Orange.

The movie tells the tale of Matt Stopera, an original editor at BuzzFeed, whose life takes an unforeseen twist when his stolen phone triggers a 2015 BuzzFeed article that gained immense popularity. The film narrates how Stopera manages to trace ‘Brother Orange,’ also known as Li Hongjun, whose selfies next to orange trees mysteriously surfaced on the journalist’s iCloud feed a year following his phone theft.

It was Hongjun, residing in China, who found himself in possession of a phone that had been stolen from Stopera. This event generated significant attention online, with more than 100 million views across various social media platforms. Notably, over 70 million shares were recorded on Weibo, a popular Chinese social networking site.

2016 saw a report by EbMaster indicating that Jim Parsons had been in discussions to play the character Stopera in Warner Bros.’ film adaption of the “Brother Orange” article, but this project eventually did not materialize.

The movie, masterminded by Abe Forman-Greenwald in terms of direction and executive production, chronicles the nine-year friendship between Stopera and Hongjun. Over the course of several years, this film has been developed, and it has additionally been acquired for adaptation into a full-length scripted feature.

Approximately a decade ago, I encountered an individual whom I affectionately refer to as ‘Bro.’ Since then, events unfolded that surpassed my expectations: numerous trips to China, a remote family established, and a bond that will last a lifetime. Stopera expresses this by stating, ‘Friendship for me is woven from shared moments, and Bro and I have experienced some of the most extraordinary adventures together.’ Regardless of cultural gaps, geographical differences, or language barriers, these episodes have left an indelible mark on my life.

Forman-Greenwald expresses, “As soon as I came across Matt Stopera’s post about the enigmatic man appearing in his iPhone photos, I felt compelled to join him on a trip to China to witness this tale unfold. The friendship between Matt and Brother Orange originated in such an improbable way that it would seem unbelievable if not for the evidence of my own eyes (and camera lens). This film will lead viewers on the same unexpected journey I embarked upon, a journey that has touched me deeply and played a significant role in my life over the past ten years. Using a well-known phrase from Buzzfeed, following Matt and Brother Orange’s unique relationship as it deepened has helped ‘reaffirm my trust in humanity.’

The new documentary titled ‘Brother Orange’ is the latest production from BuzzFeed Studios. Previously, documentaries originating from their in-house intellectual property include ‘Follow This’ on Netflix, ‘The Rise & Fall of LulaRoe’ on Discovery+, and ‘Once Upon A Time in Londongrad’ on Sky and NBCU. Additionally, BuzzFeed Studios has supported feature films such as ‘Puppy Love’ and ‘EXmas’, with international rights for the latter being held by Gravitas.

Richard Alan Reid, executive producer for Brother Orange and president of BuzzFeed Studio, expresses that the tale of Matt and Brother Orange is a testament to what makes the internet and human connection so extraordinary,” says he. “Their relationship, as authentic today as it was when their paths initially crossed, is a delight to revisit on the brink of its 10th anniversary. We’re thrilled to unveil the entire narrative to our audience, providing a more in-depth perspective on the incidents that fascinated the globe.

“Brother Orange” is slated for a Jan. 2025 release.

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2024-11-19 23:16