Obscured Releasing Buys ‘Starman,’ Documentary About Space Engineer and Author Gentry Lee (EXCLUSIVE)

Obscured Releasing, the new distribution company launched by film vets RJ Millard and Bill Guentzler, has acquired North American distribution rights to “Starman.” The film, directed by Academy Award nominee Robert Stone, will be released on VOD platforms in March following a nationwide theatrical tour in February.

The documentary is about legendary NASA engineer and best-selling science fiction author Gentry Lee, who has explored space science, robotic exploration and the human imagination. At age 82, he has come to a revelatory conclusion. Among other highlights of his space engineering career, Lee worked on the Galileo mission from 1977 to 1988, the Stardust and Deep Impact missions to comets in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and had engineering oversight responsibility for the Mars Exploration Rovers, which landed in 2004. Lee co-wrote, with Arthur C. Clarke, the books “Cradle” and “Rama II” and collaborated with Carl Sagan on the 1980 series “Cosmos.”

Following its world premiere at SXSW, “Starman” has enjoyed a strong festival run, playing at Seattle International Film Festival, DocLands Film Festival, and most recently at Woodstock Film Festival. Along with Stone, the film was produced by Ray Rothrock and Keith Haviland.

Obscured Releasing was launched in 2025 by Millard, a publicity expert with strong ties to the indie community, and Guentzler, who was most recently in charge of acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures. It has acquired several films including “Westhampton” with Finn Wittrock and the animated documentary “Endless Cookie.”

“With ‘Starman,’ director Robert Stone expands the audience’s understanding of the universe by deftly examining the extraordinary life and monumental career of Gentry Lee. In the film, Lee himself presents answers to universal questions while opening up otherworldly possibilities for us all to ponder,” said Guentzler and Millard.

“I’m enormously excited to be working with Obscured to bring Starman to a general audience, and honored to have it among their first acquisitions. With their depth of knowledge and experience in the ever-changing terrain of documentary promotion and distribution, I know this film is in good hands,” said Stone.

The deal was negotiated by Stone with Guentzler and Millard of Obscured Releasing.