Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher – the first documentary film from Legendary’s Unscripted division – tells the story of Willis Gibson, aka Blue Scuti, who, on December 21, 2023, was the first person in history to beat Tetris, a feat long thought impossible. And he did it at just age 13.
The success thrust Gibson into the spotlight overnight. But it was the timing of his achievement that makes his story that much more poignant and powerful as it came just days after the death of his dad, Adam. (Willis’ mom, Karin Gibson, also appears in the documentary.)
Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher serves then not only as a chronicle of one gamer’s biggest win but also as, the film’s official synopsis puts it, “a coming-of-age story about overcoming grief, the power of community, and the rise of an unexpected internet legend.”
The feature-length documentary, written and directed by Chris Moukarbel, will have its world premiere June 11th at the Tribeca Film Festival. IGN has the exclusive first look at the film’s trailer, which can be viewed via the player above or the embed below.
Gibson, now 15, is as surprised as you might think to be the subject of a film and while he’s still only in high school. “It’s not something I thought would ever happen. I mean, it’s one of those things that are so out there,” Gibson told IGN this week. “Never once in my life did it occur as a possibility because it’s just something that never happens.”
“A lot of my friends were really surprised. There was a moment last year for three weeks or two weeks where it was really popular in my school, but then after that it wasn’t really much,” said Gibson. “A lot of other people in the Tetris community think that it’s really cool, getting more eyes on the community. Just the overall response has been extremely positive.”
Gibson recalled the moment when he knew he’d beaten the game. “I only knew of one spot where the game could crash and when I missed it, I didn’t know that when or where it was going to crash. So the fact that I did it right before the run ended, I think that multiplied my expression, like how big it was,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it to happen. I just knew it could. So when it did, I just got extremely happy and was shocked that I got it.”
He hopes that viewers of Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher experience the joy of playing the game and the warmth of the Tetris community.
Maya Rogers, President and CEO of The Tetris Company, echoed that sentiment in a statement provided to IGN: “Willis’ incredible achievement in reaching the Tetris kill screen sparked an unprecedented wave of global interest. It was more than just a milestone — it was a powerful reminder of what Tetris represents: joy, resilience, and the magic of human connection. From the early friendship between creator Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris Company founder Henk Rogers to today’s passionate players, Tetris has always been about community. This was not only a win for Willis, but a proud moment for the entire Tetris family.”
Rogers and her dad Henk – himself the subject of the 2023 Tetris movie starring Taron Egerton – will both be at the Tribeca Film Festival in support of the documentary.
Willis Gibson will also be at Tribeca for next week’s premiere – his first time visiting New York City – but before that he will be competing in this weekend’s Classic Tetris World Championship in Pasadena, California.
