Mike Nicoll, director of ‘The Spoils’, tells a fresh basketball story
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‘The Spoils’ global release is June 13 2024. The film looks at a lot of subjects in the business of basketball, but two of them are former USC basketball players Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu. You will want to check out that film when it becomes available in just over two weeks. Mike is the maker of that film, and he has been busy beyond that one project. Nicoll is also finishing his next feature film, which is a documentary profiling Bitcoin’s emergence within the larger sports industry and its theater of activity. This film is scheduled to be released in 2025. Mike earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan before landing an M.F.A. from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. We conclude our interview of him in this installment.
Trojans Wire: How will the audience be surprised by this film?
Mike Nicoll: I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say – I think in today’s movie culture … it’s really hard to surprise an audience. People watch so much “content” these days, and most of what gets produced is pretty disposable. It comes and goes without leaving a mark.
I designed The Spoils with the value proposition for our audience in mind. My goal was to make a singular film, unlike anything that’s ever been made before. It’s not a traditional sports movie, in the sense that it’s not built around conventional storylines like, “did he make the team?” “Did they win the game?” “Did they win the championship?” To me, those angles are tired and cliché.
Our film is laser-focused on the business of basketball – and providing a blueprint for how to navigate it. I hope our film will be understood as essential viewing for anyone with a livelihood inside the game, because I think the film delivers valuable insights for the people who move through this world in any capacity. Our third act, specifically, offers some radical possibilities regarding new financial tools available to players in this “player empowerment” era.
Trojans Wire: What was your favorite part of making this movie?
Mike Nicoll: That’s a great question, I think my favorite part was the freedom we had to tell a different kind of story. During the time we were making it, the media side of basketball storytelling changed dramatically.
It’s something that always amused me up as we were shooting the film…especially as we saw the explosion of media and cameras covering this “grassroots” space skyrocket over the decade+ we were shooting this film…basically, what you might call the “ball-is-life-ification” of the world. It’s kind of a surreal thing to be in a gym full of cameras, and they’re ALL pointed at the same thing…and then we’re over here on the side, focusing on all the stuff that’s happening off the court. The deals, the relationships…the business dynamics. That’s the stuff I’ve always been fascinated with from a filmmaking standpoint.
I was always set on making something that audiences had never seen, so it was fun to be in our own lane … even if some people couldn’t quite understand what we were focused on at the time. But I’m so proud of this film, I think it speaks for itself and I’m thrilled to be sharing it with the world.
Trojans Wire: Who were your favorite teams and players growing up?
Mike Nicoll: I grew up in LA – so I’m a huge Laker fan and Kobe will forever be my guy. For me, the sun rises and sets with the Lakers…and we miss Kobe every day. There will never be another Kobe Bryant and I’m so thankful he was as big a part of my childhood as he was.
On Twitter: @TheSpoilsFilm
On Instagram: @TheSpoilsFilm
Hashtag: #TheSpoilsMovie
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