Sports Stories that Would Make Good Sports Movies

Yeah..they'll never make a movie about some star athlete dying, but they'll make 2 movies in the same year about Prefontaine.

 

Sports movies might always require the happy ending -- biopics do not.

I think Sonny Liston would make a great biopic.

 

Those two Prefontaine movies were bombs. As were a few other sports films based on tragedies. If a certain type of film makes money, Hollywood tends to make more of them. If a certain type of film loses money, Hollywood tends to not make more of them.

It's why you seldom see a sports movie based on a tragedy that doesn't have inspirational, happy ending themes.

 

If nobody watches track and field, why did two studious think people would want to watch a movie about a runner.

I know Pre had status above a regular runner, and is still a Nike icon, but there was no chance that people would still be interested 20 years after his death.

 

Gordie Howe and the World Hockey Association are getting a movie, to be co-produced by David E. Kelley and New England/Hartford Whalers founder Howard Baldwin. Howe and Mike Ilitch Jr. will be executive producers.

AP story in the Toronto Star

The film was announced Monday, which was the 60th anniversary of the day Howe scored his first NHL goal.

 

Considering the main reason Howe jumped to the WHA was his disgust with his treatment by the Red Wings, that's a little surprising. Expect tons and tons and tons of sugarcoating.

 

Just heard that some film company is doing a movie about Jesse Owens and his experience in the Berlin Games in front of Hitler.

 

bump

 

A film about NoOneLikesUs because he's got all the answers :

 

But seriously, what about parents of youth sports. It'd be a horror film.

 

What about that high school basketball team from Louisiana that won state last year despite having to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

John Ehret, was it?

 

I'm reading David Mariness's book about Roberto Clemente, and I think that might make a good movie. The story with him meeting his wife seems like great stuff, and the struggles because of race and language. You also could do a version in Spanish and get a lot bigger audience.