Move over Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, Madison's own Buckingham U. Badger is making his way to the big screen.

Chicago's Fulton Market Films spent the last year with the feisty badger for the tentatively titled "Being Bucky," set to premiere in 2009 after editing the 100+ hours of footage for the independent documentary.

Seven Badgers, picked to don a fur suit, and have their lives taped.  So find out what happens when students stop being polite, and start getting Bucky...er, not quite.

"It's about Bucky, but it's more about being a mascot and the students who decide to do that," said UW grad John Fromstein. "It's not like a reality show so we didn't park ourselves with a camera in their apartments."  
 
Tryouts to be one of the lucky seven to don the fur and grinning badger head are no joke.  Every year Bucky hopefuls endure tests of their dance skills, "expressiveness in suit," ability to work with props and how many pushups they can do, as well as an interview and ability to write and perform an original skit.

Will Bucky's seedier past endeavors make the film?  Amongst his past indiscretions is an arrest and trip to the UWPD pokey in 2004 for "body passing" through the student section at a football game. 

“With my own eyes I saw Bucky on his back in the student section being body passed,” said Capt. Brian Bridges, UWPD at the time of the incident.  Classic.  Also from the article: "While members from the pom and cheerleading squad ushered one Bucky in, the first went to the slammer."  Bucky, a UW Badger to the core.

If you've got archival footage to contribute, describe any taped materials you have in an e-mail to: info@fultonmarketfilms.com.  View clips of Bucky filming here.