SMU Meadows Alumni Bring "Trust Me, I’m a Doctor" to Theaters Nationwide
Written, directed and produced by SMU graduates, the feature film starring Kal Penn, Linda Hamilton and Abbie Cornish highlights creative collaborations that began at Meadows.
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Four SMU alumni are bringing a true story of celebrity, scandal and media scrutiny to movie theaters across the country. Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, written and directed by Film & Media Arts alum Thane Economou (B.A. ’10), opens nationwide October 16, with fellow Meadows alumni Ryan Hawkins (B.A. ’10) and Geenah Krisht (B.A. ’15), along with Dedman College psychology alum Rebecca Case (B.S. ’08), serving as producers.
Starring Kal Penn, Linda Hamilton and Abbie Cornish, the film follows Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, whose life is upended when he becomes implicated in the death of his former patient, model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith. Set against the height of early 2000s tabloid culture, the story explores Kapoor's legal battle and the intense media scrutiny surrounding the case.
Economou was first introduced to the story when Hawkins shared Kapoor's memoir with him.
"I started reading it and instantly got pulled into the twists and turns of the story," Economou explains. "I found Dr. Kapoor to be a fascinating character, full of very human faults and inconsistencies, and I was really excited to explore the world of 2007: Anna Nicole Smith, TMZ, and the height of tabloid culture."
Economou on the set of “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.”
For Krisht, the project began more than four years ago with a text from Hawkins asking if she wanted to make a movie about his doctor. After reading Kapoor's memoir, she realized the story offered a perspective she hadn't encountered before.
Bringing the film to the screen required years of development, financing, casting and production planning. With a story spanning 1997 to 2007 and featuring numerous locations and time periods, the team faced the challenge of recreating multiple eras while working within a budget. After exploring several filming locations and navigating industry strikes, production ultimately moved forward in Toronto in early 2024.
As a producer Krisht helped guide the film through development, production and distribution.
Throughout the process, the alumni drew on professional relationships that began during their time at SMU. Economou and Hawkins have collaborated since graduating together, including on Economou's first feature film, The Wedding Party, in 2017. Krisht and Hawkins have also worked together on features, music videos and commercials over the past decade.
"I love working with my fellow Mustangs and try to keep a tight network," says Economou, who credits his involvement in the Student Filmmakers Association and the many student productions he worked on at Meadows with helping establish those lasting relationships.
Krisht similarly points to her time in the Film & Media Arts program as foundational to her career, particularly the opportunity to produce a feature through the SMU Summer Film Production program.
"The relationships we built in film school were profound, because we learned to collaborate with others, trust their visions, and trust that they'll execute yours – and that's what makes for a fantastic collaboration," she says.
Hawkins has collaborated with fellow Meadows alumni on numerous projects since graduating from the Division of Film & Media Arts.
Now, after years of work, the filmmakers are preparing to share their project with audiences nationwide. For Economou, seeing the film reach the big screen represents a significant career milestone.
"It's every filmmaker's dream to see his films play on the biggest screens possible," he says. "For my film to be playing around the country is a truly surreal experience."
The alumni will also return to Dallas for a special screening of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor at the Texas Theatre on Thursday, October 22, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaking team. The event offers an opportunity to celebrate both the film's release and the creative connections that have continued well beyond graduation.
Starring Kal Penn, Linda Hamilton and Abbie Cornish, the film follows Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, whose life is upended when he becomes implicated in the death of his former patient, model and reality television star Anna Nicole Smith. Set against the height of early 2000s tabloid culture, the story explores Kapoor's legal battle and the intense media scrutiny surrounding the case.
Economou was first introduced to the story when Hawkins shared Kapoor's memoir with him.
"I started reading it and instantly got pulled into the twists and turns of the story," Economou explains. "I found Dr. Kapoor to be a fascinating character, full of very human faults and inconsistencies, and I was really excited to explore the world of 2007: Anna Nicole Smith, TMZ, and the height of tabloid culture."
Economou on the set of “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.”
For Krisht, the project began more than four years ago with a text from Hawkins asking if she wanted to make a movie about his doctor. After reading Kapoor's memoir, she realized the story offered a perspective she hadn't encountered before.
Bringing the film to the screen required years of development, financing, casting and production planning. With a story spanning 1997 to 2007 and featuring numerous locations and time periods, the team faced the challenge of recreating multiple eras while working within a budget. After exploring several filming locations and navigating industry strikes, production ultimately moved forward in Toronto in early 2024.
As a producer Krisht helped guide the film through development, production and distribution.
Throughout the process, the alumni drew on professional relationships that began during their time at SMU. Economou and Hawkins have collaborated since graduating together, including on Economou's first feature film, The Wedding Party, in 2017. Krisht and Hawkins have also worked together on features, music videos and commercials over the past decade.
"I love working with my fellow Mustangs and try to keep a tight network," says Economou, who credits his involvement in the Student Filmmakers Association and the many student productions he worked on at Meadows with helping establish those lasting relationships.
Krisht similarly points to her time in the Film & Media Arts program as foundational to her career, particularly the opportunity to produce a feature through the SMU Summer Film Production program.
"The relationships we built in film school were profound, because we learned to collaborate with others, trust their visions, and trust that they'll execute yours – and that's what makes for a fantastic collaboration," she says.
Hawkins has collaborated with fellow Meadows alumni on numerous projects since graduating from the Division of Film & Media Arts.
Now, after years of work, the filmmakers are preparing to share their project with audiences nationwide. For Economou, seeing the film reach the big screen represents a significant career milestone.
"It's every filmmaker's dream to see his films play on the biggest screens possible," he says. "For my film to be playing around the country is a truly surreal experience."
The alumni will also return to Dallas for a special screening of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor at the Texas Theatre on Thursday, October 22, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaking team. The event offers an opportunity to celebrate both the film's release and the creative connections that have continued well beyond graduation.