The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today they have acquired US rights to ÉVOCATEUR: THE MORTON DOWNEY JR. MOVIE, a documentary about the seminal talk show host directed by Ironbound Films’ Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger. The chain smoking Downey exploded onto the scene in the late ‘80s, tearing apart the traditional talk show format by turning debate of current issues into a gladiator pit, earning the title “Father of Trash Television.” The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, will be released theatrically by Magnolia in the first quarter of 2013.

A rollercoaster ride through Downey’s euphoric ascent to fame and nauseating plummet to infamy, ÉVOCATEUR: THE MORTON DOWNEY JR. MOVIE is packed with viciously entertaining moments from the show, entertaining interviews and hilarious vintage moments with current politicos like Ron Paul and Al Sharpton. Downey was a harbinger of things to come in the world of TV, and like the show the film is nasty fun—entertaining for fans and newcomers alike.

“ÉVOCATEUR is an incredibly entertaining documentary,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “While we tend to think that everything has gotten so extreme in this age of reality television, it’s shocking to see how ‘The Morton Downey Jr. Show’ makes everything today pale in comparison. The filmmakers have done a great job capturing that.”