World Cup Fever? Doug Liman in Talks for 'Victory' Remake
By Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit
As World Cup mania reaches a fever pitch, a soccer-themed project at Warner Bros. is heating up with Doug Liman at the helm.
The Edge of Tomorrow director is in talks to helm Victory, a remake of a 1981 action film of the same name that is being adapted by Gavin O’Connor.
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The story is set during World War II as allied POWs prepare for a soccer match against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris. But amid the preparations, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team’s escape.
American studios have traditionally made embraced sports movies about American sports like baseball and football but has shied away from soccer films, despite the sport’s global appeal. But as international box-office has become increasingly important, soccer is becoming more palatable to studio executives. Imagine Entertainment is producing a film on soccer icon Pele. The sport is becoming more popular in the United States as well. A World Cup match this week between U.S.A. and Portugal drew 18.2 million viewers, marking the sport’s most-watched event in U.S. history.
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But Victory is much more than a sports movie and is steeped in geopolitics — a cross between Monuments Men and the hockey film Miracle, which O’Connor directed.
Bernie Goldmann and Gianni Nunnari are producing. Jon Berg and Racheline Benveniste are overseeing for Warner Bros.
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Liman most recently directed the Tom Cruise starrer Edge of Tomorrow for Warners. His helming credits also include Jumper and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
He is repped by CAA.
E-mail: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27
E-mail: Borys.Kit@THR.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit
Photo credit: Getty Images
