Ebert succumbed to cancer at the age of 70.
"We are devastated. But we will continue. We will finish the film," tweeted director Steve James via the movie's Twitter account.
The project is being executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Steve Zaillian and is based on Ebert's 2011 memoir Life Itself, the Hollywood Reporter said.
"James and the producers have been preparing for Ebert's possible death as his condition worsened in recent months. Ebert was participating heavily in the documentary, allowing the filmmakers to record as much footage of the beloved critic as they possibly could," a source said.
While the documentary has no theatrical distributor, CNN Films has picked up US broadcast rights with the goal of airing the movie sometime in 2014.
"On behalf of the filmmakers, our thoughts are with Chaz Ebert and the Ebert family. This is a terrible loss for the film community and for us," said producer Garrett Basch.
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