Financing and producing THE FLUFFY MOVIE are Gulfstream Pictures’ Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, with Arsonhouse Entertainment’s Joe Meloche and Ron DeBlasio, Gabriel Iglesias and his company Fluffy Inc., and Levity Entertainment Group (LEG) also producing, and John Bravakis executive producing.
Open Road Films and Gulfstream Pictures worked with Iglesias on the animated hit family film THE NUT JOB, which had the highest grossing opening for an independent animated film when it was released last month. Iglesias voiced the role of Jimmy, a groundhog, alongside Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Liam Neeson and Maya Rudolph.
THE FLUFFY MOVIE will capture the wild on-stage hilarity and inspirational success story of Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, one of America’s most popular comedians who performs year-round in sold-out concerts across the United States and abroad.
Iglesias’ journey is an American success story, coming from very humble beginnings, and achieving success through determination and years of hard work. His unique and animated stand-up comedy is a mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal experiences to life and have made him widely popular among fans of all ages. He made Forbes magazine’s 2013 “Ones to Watch” list.
THE FLUFFY MOVIE will be filmed at two upcoming sold-out comedy shows on February 28 and March 1, 2014 in San Jose, California.
“Finally, a comedy that everyone can see!” said Iglesias.
“Gabriel has worked incredibly hard to become a massive success in the world of stand-up comedy,” stated Ortenberg. “With his roles in Magic Mike and The Nut Job and a hilarious performance in our upcoming film A Haunted House 2, he is a rising star on the big screen and this new film is certain to be a hit with comedy-lovers everywhere.”
“It was great working with Gabriel on The Nut Job,” said Karz. “His contributions both on screen and in promoting the film helped make The Nut Job a huge success.”
Added Bindley: “Gabriel’s global appeal coupled with the popularity of comedy concert films make this a perfect next collaboration for us.”
Born in Chula Vista, California, Gabriel Iglesias is the youngest of six children, raised by a single mother. Growing up, the family lived in Section 8, low-income housing in the city of Long Beach. It was during his childhood that he developed a strong sense of humor to deal with the obstacles he faced. In 1997, he set out to hone his comedic skills and started performing stand-up anywhere he could find an audience including biker bars and “hole in the wall” joints. In 2011, after more than 35 years, Gabriel was reunited with his father. As a young boy, he never could have foreseen the incredible success he has experienced.
Today, Iglesias is one of America’s most successful stand-up comedians and he performs year-round in sold-out concerts across the United States and abroad. His stand-up comedy is a mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal experiences to life. His unique and animated comedy style has made him popular among fans of all ages. This past April Comedy Central premiered “Gabriel Iglesias: Aloha Fluffy” in an unprecedented two-night comedy special. The hit special is currently available on DVD and digital download from Amazon, iTunes and at Wal-Mart. It follows in the footsteps of his highly successful first two DVD specials, “Hot & Fluffy” and “I’m Not Fat...I’m Fluffy” which have sold well over 1 million copies.In addition to performing as a stand-up comedian, Iglesias is making a name for himself in both the feature film and television arenas. His voice was featured in the recent box-office record-breaking hit animated family film The Nut Job – which was released by Open Road Films – and also starred Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl and Liam Neeson. Iglesias appeared in the 2012 blockbuster film Magic Mike, co-starring alongside Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. Tatum, a long-time fan of Iglesias’, personally sought him out for the role. In 2013 Iglesias voiced the characters of Ned and Zed in the Disney hit animated feature film Planes where he starred with Dane Cook, Val Kilmer, Brad Garrett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. His voiceover talent will also be featured in the upcoming animated film El Americano. Iglesias will next be seen in A Haunted House 2 – from Open Road Films – starring alongside Marlon Wayans and Jaime Pressly, which will hit theaters April 18, 2014.
His television appearances include “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution,” which premiered on Comedy Central in October 2011 and was one of the highest rated stand-up series on the network. Season 3 tapes this fall and is set to air in the spring of 2014. Iglesias’ talents were recognized when he was individually nominated for a 2012 ALMA Award in the category of Favorite TV Reality, Variety, or Comedy Personality or Act.
About OPEN ROAD FILMS
Open Road Films is a dynamic, acquisition-based domestic theatrical distribution and marketing company which annually releases a diverse slate of star-driven motion pictures which has included multiple #1 releases. It was founded in 2011 by AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC) and Regal Entertainment Group (Regal), the two largest theatrical exhibition companies in the United States. Open Road and its lenders recently extended the company's $100,000,000 credit facility through 2018.Past releases include: The Nut Job, which opened to over $25 million at the box office as the highest ever opening for an independent animated film, The Grey starring Liam Neeson which opened to #1 at the box office; End Of Watch starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña which opened #1 at the box office; A Haunted House starring Marlon Wayans; Side Effects directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum; The Host, based on Twilight saga author Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book; and Homefront, starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth.
Upcoming releases include: Sabotage (3/28/14) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Manganiello, Sam Worthington, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Max Martini, Josh Holloway, Olivia Williams, and Mireille Enos; A Haunted House 2 (4/18/14) starring Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Gabriel Iglesias, Affion Crockett and Cedric The Entertainer; Chef (5/9/14) written by, directed by and starring Jon Favreau along with Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey, Jr.; and Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno (9/5/14).
About GULFSTREAM PICTURES
Gulfstream Pictures is a Warner Bros.-based development, financing and production company focused on making tentpole films. Headed by Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, the company was formed in 2012, and is funded by Korea-based 3D stereoscopic leader Redrover Co., Ltd., and a consortium of U.S. private equity funds. Gulfstream’s first release was the hit family film The Nut Job, which had the highest grossing opening ever for an independent animated film. Gulfstream’s next release is Blended starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, to be released by Warner Bros. Memorial Day weekend 2014.
