'Diego Maradona' Trailer: Cannes Standout Doc From Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Of 'Amy' Hits HBO In October

It’s that time of year, film fans. The time when those premieres from the early 2019 film festivals begin making their way to the big screen. And on the documentary front, it’s hard to find a film that is anticipated as the upcoming “Diego Maradona.”

As seen in the new trailer for “Diego Maradona,” the film unsurprisingly utilizes archival footage and interviews to tell the story of one of the best athletes the world has ever seen. The film captures the rise and surprising fall of one of soccer’s (or football, depending on your country of origin) most revered superstars.

The documentary premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. In our review from the event, we said, “The real treats, however, are the World Cup games from both 1986 and 1990—an impressive blend of tape stock and celluloid. While it’s not much of a surprise that the monolithic FIFA is taking charge of their heritage, the restored 35mm footage capture a grainy immediacy and makes an argument for the documentary as a big-screen must. It’s a deeply impressive feat from an editorial perspective, seamlessly integrating the two mediums to express a sharpened point of view.”

READ MORE: ‘Diego Maradona’: Oscar Winner Asif Kapadia Returns With A Must-See Doc For Sports Fans [Cannes Review]

The film comes courtesy of filmmaker Asif Kapadia, who won an Oscar for his 2015 documentary, “Amy.” He’s also known for directing the film “Senna,” as well as two episodes from Season 1 of the Netflix series “Mindhunter.”

“Diego Maradona” opens in select theaters on September 20 before premiering on HBO on October 1.

Here’s the synopsis:

On 5th July 1984, Diego Maradona arrived in Naples for a world-record fee. For seven years all hell broke loose. The world’s most celebrated football icon and the most passionate but dangerous city in Europe were a perfect match for each other. On the pitch, Diego Maradona was a genius. Off the pitch, he was treated like a God. The charismatic Argentine loved a fight against the odds and led Napoli to their first-ever title. It was the stuff of dreams. But there was a price… Diego could do as he pleased while performing miracles on the pitch but, as time passed, darker days closed in.