Julia Roberts has announced that she is attached to produce and star in a feature film adaptation of the new documentary Batkid Begins, the story of the SF Batkid.

Batkid Begins

Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World, a documentary about Miles Scott, who, on Nov. 15, 2013, became Batkid and saved San Francisco’s Gotham City as a Make A Wish. Miles, who was five at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia as a baby, and his wish was to be Batman for a day. The wish became a viral sensation, with thousands of fans heading to San Francisco to help make Miles’ wish a reality. The story of Batkid became a national sensation, and inspired filmmaker Dana Nachman to create a documentary.

Julia Roberts To Produce And Star In Batkid Movie

Before the documentary even premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival, Roberts announced that her production company, Red Om Films, had bought the rights to make a narrative remake of Batkid Begins. According to the press release, Roberts plans to produce and star in the film, with Nachman serving as executive producer.

“It’s thrilling to me that Ms. Roberts and her team watched our film and were so moved by it that they want to dedicate their time and creative capital to make sure the widest audience possible will know and love Miles’ story and the spirit of his intimate special event that went global as much as we do,” Nachman said in a statement.

Roberts spoke publicly about the project on Sunday night at the red carpet of the 2015 SAG Awards, where she was nominated for her work in The Normal Heart.

“We’re just super excited! My sister and I have a production company, Red Om Productions. We were lucky enough to see this documentary and we loved it. I think it will be a really beautiful movie,” Roberts told Extra.

In another interview, Roberts revealed that Miles’ story doesn’t make her sad, but hopeful, telling Access Hollywood, “I don’t feel like crying because he’s so mighty. It gives me hope.”

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.