The story of BlackBerry is getting turned into a three-part limited series — well, sort of.
BlackBerry, the show, is an extended, episodic version of Toronto filmmaker Matt Johnson’s Canadian motion picture of the same name that was released earlier this year. As the name suggests, it charts the rise and fall of the BlackBerry phone brand at Waterloo, Ontario-based tech company Research in Motion (RIM). It’s based on Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by former The Globe and Mail reporters Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.
Once again starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as RIM co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, this TV spin on BlackBerry will offer several minutes of never-before-seen footage, as overseen by Johnson and co-writer Matthew Miller.
If you missed the original film or simply want to revisit it in a different way, you’re in luck. In Canada, the three-part series will stream in its entirety on Thursday, November 9th on CBC Gem for free with ads. (A $4.99/month Gem Premium membership is also available.)
Additionally, the BlackBerry series will air on CBC TV on November 9th at 9pm ET, with new episodes to be released the subsequent Thursdays. In the U.S., the series will air on AMC+ and AMC TV the following week.
In Canada, the original film version of BlackBerry is available to rent or purchase on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play.
Get ready to witness the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.#BlackBerry: The Limited Series premieres as a 3-night event starting November 13 on AMC and @AMCPlus. pic.twitter.com/2TfoxZK95w
— AMC TV (@AMC_TV) October 22, 2023
When the first trailer for the BlackBerry series was released last month, some questioned why it was getting re-released in this format. However, as noted by The Globe and Mail film editor Barry Hertz, BlackBerry was always going to be turned into a series as part of the production deal with CBC, which held the rights to Losing the Signal.
We reviewed the BlackBerry film earlier this year and absolutely adored it. We also got to speak to Johnson, Baruchel and Howerton about the making of the movie.
It’s worth noting that CBC is also hosting a special BlackBerry pop-up at the Toronto Eaton Centre from November 8th to 10th to promote the launch of the series.
Image credit: CBC
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
