HBO Pays Tribute To Sam Kinison With Brother Sam

HBO launched comic Sam Kinison’s star, and now the network will memorialize his life and death with Brother Sam, a film Tom Shadyac will direct. Variety is reporting that Dan Fogler will play the manic comic. The film is based onBrother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison, a memoir written by his brother and manager, Bill Kinison, and Steve Delsohn.

A new script has been written by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the writer-directors of American Splendor. David Permut is producing in a co-production of Permut Presentations and Shadyac’s Shady Acres. Steve Longi is co-producer and Bill Kinison is exec producer.

Kinison’s career was launched by an appearance on HBO’s Rodney Dangerfield-hosted Young Comedians special in 1984.