Paramount doc to celebrate Swayze

Paramount Network will celebrate the life of Hollywood star Patrick Swayze in the latest instalment of the I Am documentary franchise.

Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost

The Viacom-owned channel has joined forces with US prodco Network Entertainment’s filmmaker Derik Murray to produce the documentary, which will debut on August 18.

Murray has previously produced films on John F Kennedy Jr, Martin Luther King Jr, Heath Ledger, Bruce Lee, Paul Walker, Chris Farley and Richard Pryor.

I Am Patrick Swayze will be directed by Adrian Buitenhuis (I Am Heath Ledger, I Am Paul Walker) and executive produced by Paul Gertz, Kent Wingerak, Murray and Paramount Network’s Chaz Gray.

The film explores Swayze’s childhood in Texas and his enduring relationship with widow Lisa Niemi, whom he met as a teenager at his mother’s dance studio. Swayze died aged 57 in 2009.

The film features interviews with Swayze’s friends, family and co-stars including Niemi, brother Don Swayze, co-stars Sam Elliott, Jennifer Grey, C Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Kelly Lynch, Demi Moore, Lori Petty and Marshall R Teague.

It will also feature director Roland Joffe, agent Nicole David, manager Kate Edwards, personal assistant Rosemary Hygate, stuntman Cliff McLaughlin and bodyguard Frank Whiteley.

Swayze’s hit films Ghost and Dirty Dancing will air leading into the documentary next month.