Upcoming sport movies we can’t wait to check out
The past 12 months have not been easy ones for sports fans. This time last year, the entire world of sport ground to a halt, leaving the streaming services and news sites with only archive footage of past encounters to talk about. At least we had our favorite sports movies to fall back on.
From Days of Thunder to Bend it Like Beckham, a good sports flick manages to capture the passion and drama that makes sport so addictive, and can draw in even those who ordinarily have no interest in the sport.
Of course, recent months have had an impact on the movie business too, and several titles that were due for release in 2020 have been pushed back. Here, we take a look ahead at some sports titles that are due for release over the coming months that have the potential to become classics.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Believe it or not, it’s been 25 years since the original Space Jam hit the big screen. This long-awaited sequel stars and is produced by Lebron James, and also features The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green among the A-list cast.
The live-action and animation put them in the company of Disney icons including Bugs Bunny, Percy Pig and Foghorn Leghorn, as the real-world sports stars find themselves trapped in a virtual reality world where the only way out is to lead the ragtag bunch of Loony Tuners to victory on the field of play. The movie is provisionally scheduled for release in both movie theaters and on HBO Max in July.
Maidaan
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. More than a billion people tuned in to watch at least part of the World Cup final in 2018, while millions from all over the world log on to check out the Betsson Premier League odds every Saturday. Yet great soccer movies are in short supply.
This latest creation from renowned Hindi director Amit Sharma has the opportunity to put that right. It focuses on what many consider to be the golden age of football in India, from 1952 to 1962, perfectly capturing both the on-field action and the spirit of the time. It is scheduled for worldwide release in October.
American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story
As Bill Murray reminded us in what was surely his finest moment of movie improvisation, everyone loves a Cinderella story. Kurt Warner went from supermarket shelf-stacker to Super Bowl MVP and is box office all the way.
Zachery Levi plays the lead role, and there’s some top-notch support from the likes of Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid. The movie was originally scheduled for release last year but was delayed by 12 months to December 18, 2021.
King Richard
Has a pair of siblings ever shaken up a sport in the way that Venus and Serena Williams affected tennis? They stand for so much more than just sport, yet it was their talent on the court that began their incredible journey.
Both credit their father, Richard Williams, as the force that made it all happen, and this biographical drama tells his story. Will Smith stars and the original November 2020 release date is another that has been pushed back by 12 months.
