Showtime to make John Belushi documentary

Showtime will produce a documentary about the late comedian John Belushi.

On Monday the premium cable network announced plans for a feature documentary about Belushi, to be directed by R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue”).

The film will be produced by Cutler and John Battsek and will be made with the cooperation of Belushi’s widow, Judith Belushi Pisano.

“Belushi was one of my very first heroes. At a time when film, television, and music were undergoing tectonic shifts within American culture, he was at the center of it all,” said Cutler in a press release. “We plan to explore his unique genius and how his creative influence is still making an impact to this moment.”

Belushi was an original cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and became one of the show’s first breakout stars. He appeared in “The Blues Brothers,” based on characters he developed while at “SNL,” and “Animal House.” He died in 1982 at the age of 33 of a drug overdose.

Production on the as-yet-untitled Belushi documentary will begin this fall, according to Showtime. Cutler and Battsek also produced “Listen To Me Marlon,” a documentary about Marlon Brandon that aired on Showtime last year.

Follow me @MeredithBlake