- Paramount’s Freediver is joining the venerated pantheon of must-watch documentaries about lesser-known athletic achievements a la Free Solo and Netflix’s 13 Peaks.
- The film centres upon freediving GOAT Alexey Molchanov and is based on the 2021 GQ feature article penned by Daniel Riley.
- Freediver release date: December 7th, 2024 via Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+ (US, Canada) | Early 2025 via Binge, Paramount+, and Foxtel (Australia).
Despite having never heard of the forthcoming documentary’s main players — nor having ever truly considered freediving — Paramount’s Freediver trailer has earned our complete investment.
Based on the GQ feature article ‘The Secrets of the World’s Greatest Freediver,’ the remarkably dramatic story follows who we can only assume is the Michael Jordan-equivalent of the deadly sport: Alexey Molchanov — the world’s greatest living freediver and son of late freediving pioneer Natalia Molchanova.
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After being forced into exile due to geopolitical reasons, he spent 2023 journeying to “reclaim his athletic glory” (and to honour his iconic mother’s “towering legacy”) by attempting to record the most dominant season in the entire history of freediving.
Freediver follows his “near-suicidal quest” to claim five world records in under four months — a herculean feat that took him to the farthest reaches of the globe; as well as the very limits of human performance. Per the official synopsis, the younger Molchanov was also forced to “re-evaluate all the skills and beliefs on which he has built his entire life” in the process.
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The documentary has been directed, written, and produced by Michael John Warren (Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza, Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known). This has been a joint production from Skydance Sports, Picturestart, GQ Studios, and Boardwalk Pictures.
Paramount’s Freediver documentary breaches the surface here in Australia around early 2025 via Binge, Foxel, and of course, Paramount+ — check out the chilling trailer above.
