BlackBerry (2023 Film): 14 Interesting Facts

BlackBerry is a 2023 Canadian biographical comedy-drama film that chronicles the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry, the world’s first smartphone.

Directed by Matt Johnson, the film is loosely adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.

Jay Baruchel stars as Mike Lazaridis, the socially awkward co-founder of Research In Motion (RIM) and creator of the BlackBerry, while Glenn Howerton plays Jim Balsillie, the ambitious businessman who drives the company’s success.

Director Matt Johnson portrays Douglas Fregin, Lazaridis’ loyal best friend and co-founder. The supporting cast includes Rich Sommer, SungWon Cho, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch, and Saul Rubinek, with notable performances from Michael Ironside and Cary Elwes. The film showcases the tech-world drama behind RIM’s rise, featuring a dynamic ensemble of characters.

The film blends humor, tension, and a touch of nostalgia to explore the tech industry’s ruthless dynamics, focusing on the interplay between innovation, ambition, and corporate missteps.

There’s probably a lot that you don’t know about this film, but today my aim is to change that…

Here are 14 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know about the 2023 film BlackBerry

1. The film premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023, and was released in Canada on May 12, 2023

2. The film had a budget of $5 million but only grossed $3 million at the box office.

3. In late 2023, the film was expanded into a three-part miniseries with additional footage, airing on CBC in Canada and AMC in the US.

4. BlackBerry received 17 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, winning 14 awards, including Best Motion Picture.

5. While the film dramatizes real events, it takes creative liberties to enhance storytelling. The accuracy of certain events has been questioned, but the film captures the essence of BlackBerry’s rise and fall.

6. Director Matt Johnson initially wanted to include a clip from Total Recall (1990) as an in-joke, since Michael Ironside, who plays Charles Purdy in the film, also appeared in that movie. However, obtaining the rights proved too complicated due to Carolco, the studio behind Total Recall, going bankrupt in the 1990s. After facing difficulties in finding who to seek permission from, the idea was eventually abandoned.

7. Although the film suggests that the name “BlackBerry” was inspired by a blackberry stain on Mike’s shirt, it was actually the result of a marketing team selecting from 40 other potential names. “BlackBerry” was chosen because the shape of the keyboard keys resembled the drupelets of a blackberry fruit.

8. Jim’s line, “I’m from Waterloo! Where the vampires hang out!” references a popular viral video featuring a Toronto man being interviewed, in which he dramatically rips off his shirt. The video is officially titled “Man Goes Crazy Rips off Shirt During Street Interview.”

9. Because Glenn Howerton had very little time to prepare for the role of Jim Balsillie, he was unable to meet Jim before filming. Howerton also mentioned that Jim rarely made public appearances or gave interviews, which would have been helpful for portraying him.

10. Shot in a handheld, almost documentary-like style, the film evokes a gritty, chaotic energy reminiscent of The Office meets Silicon Valley, setting it apart from glossier tech biopics like The Social Network.

11. The film captures the early 2000s tech boom and the BlackBerry’s peak as the “CrackBerry,” a device so addictive it once held nearly 50% of the U.S. smartphone market before being eclipsed by the iPhone.

12. To play Mike Lazaridis, Baruchel not only altered his appearance but also studied the real-life figure’s mannerisms, including his soft-spoken intensity, drawing from archival interviews to nail the tech visionary’s quiet brilliance.

13. Unlike many tech biopics, BlackBerry avoids heavy visual effects, relying instead on practical props—think chunky laptops and vintage prototypes—to ground its story in a tangible, pre-iPhone era.

14. Research In Motion (RIM) rebranded to BlackBerry Limited in 2013. Nowadays, the company focuses on cybersecurity, enterprise software, and IoT solutions, with the original RIM name now fully phased out.

Well, there you have it, 14 interesting facts you might not have known about the 2023 film BlackBerry. If I’ve left out something important, feel free to comment below.

Check out the trailer for the film below:

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