In 2013, the Make-A-Wish Foundation made 5-year-old leukemia patient Miles Scott’s dreams come true when they turned San Francisco into Gotham City and transformed Scott into “Batkid.” Alongside a fully-grown Batman partner, Batkid saved a damsel in distress, brought two super-villains to justice and captured the hearts of the thousands who turned up to see his crusade in person and the millions who watched online.
And on June 26, the incredible story comes to the big screen with the documentary “Batkid Begins.” On Wednesday, HuffPost Live’s Ricky Camilleri spoke to the team behind the film and the wish itself to get the behind-the-scenes story of how it all went down.
The documentary chronicles the increasingly elaborate preparation for granting Scott’s wish. Patricia Wilson, the CEO Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, said she initially hoped for about 200 people to show up for support. When that turned into more than 25,000, organizers worried all the attention might be too much for a 5-year-old. But when the pressure was on, Bakid never hesitated for a moment.
“I tell you what, the first time he saw that costume, he just started stripping right down to his Batman underwear and put that costume on,” Wilson said. “We put the hood on and I said, ‘Who are you?’ He goes, ‘I’m Batman!’ And I thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got a real Batman here.'”
“Batkid Begins” is in select theaters June 26. Our advice: bring tissues.
Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with the team behind “Batkid Begins” here.
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