Oscilloscope Buys ‘John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office,’ Doc About Scientist Who Explored LSD, Aliens and Dolphins (EXCLUSIVE)

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired “John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office,” a documentary about a daring neurophysiologist and “psychonaut” known for his investigations into dolphins, alien life and LSD.

The film was made by Michael Almereyda and Courtney Stephens; Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny narrates the picture. It features interviews with Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, naturalist Scott McVay, mathematician Hella McVay, marine scientist Diana Reiss and activist Gigi Coyle.

Lilly’s story is certainly unique. His interest in human consciousness saw him turn to psychedelics — he would ingest the drug either in an isolation tank or in the company of dolphins. He also attempted to communicate with dolphins and whales, experiments which helped inspire the Mike Nichols and George C. Scott thriller “The Day of the Dolphin.” Lilly’s work also influenced “Altered States,” a science-fiction film about a barrier-breaking scientist. Among other interests, Lilly explored whether radio astronomy could be used to detect intelligent life beyond the solar system.

“John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office” premiered at 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film was produced by Taylor Hess and Jesse Miller on behalf of Couple 3 Films, Almereyda, and Stephens.

“We are thrilled to be working with Oscilloscope, with their long history of supporting independent and adventurous filmmaking, making them the ideal partner to bring Lilly’s strange and essential legacy to audiences,” Almereyda and Stephens said in a statement.

Almereyda’s credits include “Tesla,” “Marjorie Prime” and “William Eggleston in the Real World.” Stephens has directed “Invention” and “Terra Femme.”

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Michael and Courtney on this portrait of the eccentric and visionary John Lilly,” Aaron Katz, vice president of acquisitions at Oscilloscope Laboratories, said in a statement. “The filmmakers fully embraced Lilly’s ethos as an avant-garde scientist and applied it to every aspect of the documentary’s creation. The result is a gorgeous, tactile, and trippy study of Lilly’s life that will make you want to dabble in LSD again like when you were younger, cooler, and had interesting things to talk about.”

The deal for the film was negotiated by Katz, with Hess and Miller representing the filmmakers. Almereyda is represented by Bethany Haynes at Sloss, Eckhouse, Dasti, Haynes.