A new trailer for Pretending I’m Superman has been released by Wood Entertainment. The upcoming documentary will examine the legacy of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game series, which originally launched in 1999. The games helped revitalize skateboarding in the mainstream and went on to sell millions of copies worldwide. As we see in the trailer, this movie looks to peel back the curtain on Hawk’s now-iconic games.
The trailer opens up by setting up the skateboarding boom of the 80s in contrast to its steep decline in the 90s. Skateboarding was on the verge of extinction. But then Activision called up Tony Hawk, the first man to ever land a 900 on a skateboard, about a video game they had in the works. The rest, as they say, is history. But this movie looks to shed new light on the game’s important place in history. Naturally, the trailer is set to the tune of Superman by Goldfinger, which was a staple of the original game’s soundtrack. Hawk had this to say about it in a statement.
“Pretending I’m Superman is a robust, real-life story of our successful video game series as told by those who created it, and many who were inspired by it”
Pretending I’m Superman features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Tony Hawk, as well as industry stars Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska and Eric Koston. It aims to tell the story of the skaters and developers who came together to create the game, as well as a look into how skateboarding became a part of the mainstream. The movie was Directed by Ludvig Gur. The filmmaker had this to say about it.
“I’m really excited to partner with Wood Entertainment. It’s been a long journey making the documentary and I’m stoked it will finally be released for skateboarding and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater fans worldwide. The art form and video game had an enormous impact on Generation Y / Z and the story behind it is even more fascinating.”
The timing of this documentary, which held its premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival, is arguably perfect. Recently, it was revealed that a remastered version of the first two Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games will be arriving in September. The documentary will be available just beforehand, which should help give it a little bit of extra juice. Wood Entertainment CEO Tara Wood had this to say.
“Tony Hawk has one of the most inspiring stories ever told, from groundbreaking skater to gaming mogul. We are thrilled to present it to its worldwide audience.”
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater went on to sell more than 9 million copies, paving the way for a series of sequels. In total, the games brought in more than $1.4 billion in revenue. 2007’s Proving Grounds was the last new game in the franchise. Pretending I’m Superman is set to arrive on August 18 via digital platforms and VOD from Wood Entertainment. Be sure to check out the new trailer for yourself.