Can underdogs overcome the odds? The question is asked time and time again, yet many of these stories remain lost to history. George Clooney directs “The Boys in the Boat” — a look at the University of Washington’s 1936 rowing team. The adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s bestselling novel, written by Mark L. Smith, sees the team compete in that year’s Summer Olympics. Set in Berlin at a tense time for international relations, their determination to win against the world’s best would create a legendary story.
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Clooney assembles a talented cast for the film, with Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner leading around a considerable ensemble of character actors and unknowns. Turner, an up-and-coming young star, was last seen in 2022’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” and will next appear in the miniseries “Masters of the Air.” Clooney’s been working at a fast clip in the directorial area of late, having directed a film almost every two years since 2014, including “The Monuments Men” (2014), “Suburbicon” (2017), episodes of “Catch 22” in 2019, “The Midnight Sky” in 2020 and “The Tender Bar” in 2021. “The Boys In The Boat” marks his ninth feature-length directorial effort so far.
The film’s official synopsis:
The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.
Alexandre Desplat wrote the score, and the film also stars Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Peter Guinness, Alec Newman, James Wolk, Chris Diamantopoulos, and more. Produced by Grant Heslov and Clooney, Kevin Ulrich, Barbara A. Hall, Gary Barber, and Peter Oillataguerre are executive producers of “The Boys in the Boat.” The film premieres only in theaters on December 25 via MGM. Get your first look at the trailer below.
