Dick Van Dyke Doc Director Started Work on Film Nearly 30 Years Ago (Exclusive)

With a career that spans more than seven decades, it’s no surprise that it took director Steve Boettcher quite some time to put together a documentary that best encompasses legendary entertainer Dick Van Dyke.

Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration takes viewers through the multi-hyphenate’s expansive career in film, on TV and on stage, dating back to Mary Poppins, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bye, Bye Birdie. To help tell the story, Boettcher spoke to a number of now-deceased Hollywood titans, including Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Betty White, over the course of nearly 30 years.

“Our premise was to kind of interview the people that worked with him and not people that remember watching him all the time,” Boettcher tells PEOPLE of the film that will hit theaters for one weekend only, on Dec. 13 and 14, in time for Van Dyke’s 100th birthday on Dec. 13. He adds: “So it’s kind of like all the people that were there, lightning in a bottle with him.”

The process, Boettcher explains, started as he began to interview former cast members from The Dick Van Dyke Show, including Morey Amsterdam, who died in 1996, and Rose Marie, who died in 2017.

“That was kind of the beginning of it,” Boettcher says of his interviews with the comedians.

Initially, Boettcher thought the documentary would be about the “early trailblazers of television” — Van Dyke included. After sitting down with Moore and Reiner, Boettcher says, “All of a sudden, it kind of started gaining its own momentum.”

In the trailer for the filmboth Moore, who died in 2017, and Reiner, who died in 2020, gush over their old friend and colleague.

“He’s a great human being and one of the most generous performers that I’ve ever worked with,” Moore, who starred alongside Van Dyke on his self-titled sitcom, says.

Reiner, who created The Dick Van Dyke Showcalls him “the most gifted physical comedian that ever lived.”

Although much of his life has been documented, including in the upcoming book 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life, out Nov. 18, Boettcher promises fans will see “new sides” of Van Dyke through the film.

“This is an 80-year career in the making, and I think it’s easy to look at a few shows and say, ‘Wow, those are great,’ but collectively, what does that all mean? Why is he so extraordinary today? Why do we love him so much?,” he says.

“There’s some really touching, sweet, fun moments in it,” he continues. “And I think we also, we laugh again with him. We kind of hum along to the songs he sings. I think it’s all those things. It’s really a celebration.”

Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration will play in select theaters Dec. 13 and 14.