XYZ Films announced today that film star Alec Baldwin has signed on to play John DeLorean in a series of scripted scenes that will be added to their Untitled John DeLorean Documentary. Supporting roles for the narrative scenes are currently being cast. Baldwin's hair and makeup team from Saturday Night Live have also been enlisted to transform him into the iconic automobile maker.

The film is directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce (The Art of the Steal, Last Days Here, Batman & Bill) and produced by Tamir Ardon, XYZ Films and 9.14 Pictures and backed by Ingenious. Production is currently under way, with the narrative scenes to be shot shortly. Sundance Selects is distributing the film domestically, and the film is scheduled to be released in 2018.

A documentary fused with narrative scenes, this portrait of John Z. DeLorean covers the enigmatic automaker's rise to stardom and shocking fall from grace. Interviews with colleagues, employees, lawyers, friends and family who knew him best are interspersed with dramatized vignettes, including a performance by Alec Baldwin, as they all endeavor in their own ways to uncover the real DeLorean. Here's what Alec Baldwin had to say about this documentary in a statement.

"Sheena Joyce and Don Argott are two of the most intelligent and creative filmmakers that I've come across over the last many years. Their documentary, The Art of the Steal, is among my favorites of all time and I look forward to collaborating with them on their inventive take on the life of John DeLorean."

9.14 Pictures has most recently produced the Hulu documentary Batman & Bill, about legendary DC Comics artist Bill Finger. They are also known for the documentaries The Art of the Steal and Last Days Here. Here's what Sheena Joyce and Don Argott had to say in their statement.

"We are so honored to have the opportunity to explore the complex character of John Z. DeLorean with the legendary Alec Baldwin. As longtime fans, we cannot wait to see DeLorean through the lens of Alec's immense talent and sharp intellect. We're confident this collaboration will lead to an exciting film about a mysterious, misunderstood automotive icon."

XYZ Films also produced and is handling sales on three TIFF titles, Brian Taylor's thriller, Mom and Dad, starring Nicolas Cage, the S.Craig Zahler action thriller Brawl in Cell Block 99, which stars Vince Vaughn and Don Johnson and I Kill Giants, staring Zoe Saldana and Imogen Poots. Here's what producer Tamir Ardon said in a statement.

One of the original intentions of the project was to dissect John DeLorean via traditional documentary research and by exploring previously un-produced John DeLorean narrative projects that never got off the ground. With the help of Alec Baldwin transformed into John DeLorean, we can achieve that original goal in a very meta way where fact and fiction intertwine."

No release date has been given for the Untitled John Delorean Documentary. It will be interesting to see if this project would be eligible to qualify for the Best Documentary category during awards season, since it features a mixture of narrative and documentary techniques. With casting under way for the other narrative roles, we may hear more about this unique project soon.