Gravitas Ventures has acquired United States rights to The Rise of Jordan Peterson, directed by Patricia Marcoccia. The feature film will be available in theaters and on demand October 29.

The Rise of Jordan Peterson explores the life and mind of Jordan Peterson, the psychology professor turned YouTube philosopher who rose to fame amidst a polarizing controversy and was later lauded as one of the most influential thinkers of the Western world.

After sparking both outrage and support for his stand against political correctness and Canadian human rights legislation in late 2016, Peterson quickly took the public stage as a global intellectual and international best-selling author. His book, 12 Rules for Life, published in January 2018 has sold more than 3 million copies.

Named “the best-known and most influential public intellectual in the world today” by the London Times, Peterson “is also among the most divisive. Some view the controversial Canadian professor of psychology and author as a prophetic genius and purveyor of empowering wisdom to the alienated masses, particularly young men, which is why his bestselling book, 12 Rules For Life, has been translated into more than 50 languages, his YouTube videos have at least 150 million views and his talks sell out arenas all over the world.”

The documentary offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the controversial period beginning in 2016 that led to Jordan Peterson’s capturing the world’s attention with his thought-provoking criticisms of political correctness and his life-changing philosophies on personal meaning.

“While the world was flooded with all sorts of media covering the ‘Jordan Peterson phenomenon’ I quietly maintained a front row seat to the evolving controversy and massive shifts in Jordan Peterson’s life,” said Patricia Marcoccia, director and founder of Holding Space Films. “Even people who think they’ve seen it all have not seen what we’ve been able to capture in this film. It’s always been important to me that the film remains nuanced, honest and human, especially in the polarized and explosive media landscape we’re currently in.”

“Gravitas is excited to release, The Rise of Jordan Peterson, with director, Patricia Marcoccia, who was at the forefront of documenting Peterson’s life. The documentary gives audiences a deeper look into the controversy surrounding Peterson. Whether you agree or disagree with him, we believe audiences will find the documentary captivating,” said Nolan Gallagher, CEO and Founder of Gravitas Ventures.

Gallagher from Gravitas Ventures negotiated the deal with executive producer Paul Kemp and producers Patricia Marcoccia and Maziar Ghaderi.