As much as it may surprise some, transitioning from athletics to entertainment isn’t that big of a leap. There are traditional routes, like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley becoming commentators following their long careers as basketball players, as well as occasional actors. Lebron James founded a production shingle called SpringHill Entertainment in 2007, only 4 years into his professional playing career and has since, with the help of his partner Maverick Carter, grown it into the SpringHill Company, with focuses in marketing and platforming other athletes. Looking at the Paris Olympics as a current example, one of the first thing many of these athletes must do outside of their sport is learn how to present themselves to a world audience.
Some have a natural ability in this regards, such as The Goat, Simone Biles, or US women’s rugby player Ilona Maher, both of whom ranked up millions of views on TikTok during the games.
Prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics commencing, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg set the stage for the games with a short film, in which he said, “From the very origins of the idea, The Olympics have always been what you might call, the perfect template for a story. Drama, action, suspense, and victory or defeat, plus a great musical score. And that’s before we even account for the characters — their physical gifts, maxless determination — that thing you see in their eyes when they cancel out the world and focus on their personal best.”
The drama Spielberg acknowledges has often been translated into cinema with films like “Raging Bull” and “Moneyball,” as well as Olympics-focused fare like “Miracle.” These films are always a favorite come awards season, but more importantly, manage to remain a part of our collective cultural memory for the long haul. Perhaps this comes as a result of two audiences who don’t always co-mingle — cinephiles and sports fans — finding common ground with one another, but whatever the reason, Hollywood is typically always willing to profit from a good story and the Paris Olympics offered plenty. With this in mind, we offer below some of our own pitches for how these stories should be tackled for the big screen.
The Goat Goes for Gold
The story of artistic gymnast Simone Biles isn’t one to be taken lightly. At 27, she has earned more Olympic medals than any other U.S. gymnast and is the most decorated athlete in her sport. The beauty she has put out into the world continues to inspire millions, but becoming the greatest of all time didn’t happen overnight. As a child, her and her three siblings were in and out of foster care until her grandfather and his wife found them and took them in, adopting Simone and her sister Adria, while her older siblings were adopted by their great aunt. It’s a deeply personal narrative that feels only right to be told by Simone and her family in some kind of documentary format, but a separate vision and use of her talents could be done in animated format, with a focus on being geared towards kids and families.
“The Goat Goes for Gold” (or maybe simply “The Goat”) tells the story of a young, female goat who feels like an outcast amongst her peers, but is vaulted to stardom by her unparalleled gymnastic abilities. Think of the world in “Zootopia” terms, where animals have taken on human characteristics and control their own society. Let’s start getting next year’s D23 presentation together.
Breakdown: The Story of B-Girl Raygun
The almost comical performance of Australia’s representative for the new Olympic sport of breakdancing has turned into one of the most meme-able moments out of 2024’s games, but moreover, potentially one of the funniest scandals in sports history. For those who aren’t aware, B-Girl Raygun is the breakdancing handle of Rachael Gunn, PhD, a professor from Sydney who specializes in dance culture, but failed to advance past any of her three round-robin battles during the Paris Olympics. Social media has ripped Gunn to shreds with cruel posts, mocking videos, and even a change.com petition that calls for an investigation into how she was chosen and includes falsely boosted claims like the suggestion that her coach and husband was involved in the selection process, an assertion that has no basis in truth.
In trying to retell this story, it would be obvious to approach it from a humorous angle, but the ridiculousness of the whole situation warrants something much darker and more complex. Initially, the idea of someone like Charlie Kaufman crafting a narrative felt right, but culturally speaking, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, though New Zealanders and not Aussies, feel right for this kind of project. In thinking about their strengths, the best approach for them would be to do a mockumentary on Gunn’s rise to the Paris stage and perilous fall at the hands of online trolls. Though Hannah Einbinder is a dead-ringer for Gunn looks-wise, as an actual ginger Aussie who knows how to toe-the-line between comedy and drama, Sarah Snook would be perfect to fill her fast-moving shoes
لكمة (Lakma – Punch)
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was met with an onslaught of online criticism following her bout with Italian boxer Angela Carini, when it was falsely reported that Khelif was not actually a woman and therefore should not be eligible to fight in this gender class. Known anti-trans voices Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling jumped on the news, disseminating it to their fans only to discover quickly that it had no basis in fact. By that point, the damage was already done and despite winning gold in Women’s Welterweight Boxing, Khelif’s Olympic experience was eclipsed by nasty rumors that forced her to defend her own gender in front of the press.
But Khelif’s fighting nature doesn’t seem to be exclusive to her fists. Only a few days following the closing of the 2024 games, a criminal complaint was filed to the French authorities on behalf of Khelif over “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” committed against her. Both Rowling and Musk have been named in the complaint, with Donald Trump also being investigated. Though it remains to be seen where this story lands, one can already imagine the makings of a taut courtroom drama paired with flashbacks to Khelif battling it out in a different kind of ring. A strong female director like Kathryn Bigelow or Gina Prince-Bythewood would likely do a fantastic job at capturing brutality both physical and personal, but “Anatomy of a Fall” writer/director Justine Triet might also make an interesting choice.
Tackled
To be honest, I don’t think Ilona Maher’s story warrants a biopic quite yet. However, her personality and stunning presence show she has the makings of a genuine star, perhaps not only on the rugby pitch, but in front of the camera as well. To further boost her profile and the profile of women’s rugby, I’d like to pitch two options, the first being a “Ted Lasso”-inspired sitcom focused around Maher playing a version of herself sent halfway around the world to lead a rag-tag group of rugby players to victory, bridging cultural divides and proving how a sport that involves pummeling your opponent can also bring people together.
My second pitch is a little more left-of-center and would involve Maher again playing a version of herself, albeit in a more fictionalized, rom-com narrative. “Tackled” would center around Maher as a rugby player injured during a match that starts the film. During her intense physical recovery, she’s treated by a handsome sports doctor who pushes her to get back up and keep going. Only thing is, as soon as she’s back in play, she can’t help but get injured again to spend more time with him. Will her love of the game or her love of love win out? Find out summer 2027, only in theaters.
The Pommeler
While the U.S. women’s gymnastics team may have gone home with more gold, the men’s team had their own share of glory, in particular, the exquisite performance of 25 year-old Stephen Nedoroscik on the pommel horse. Taking home two bronze medals, Nedorscik has been likened to Clark Kent/Superman for how he must take off his glasses during competitions, making him effectively blind, as he’s suffered from vision disorders his entire life. The only way he’s able to participate is by feel and muscle memory, making his feats all the more incredible and granting him a superhuman aura.
Playing off this aura and the current fatigue felt around comic book movies, one wonders if there’s any harm in crafting a superhero narrative around Nedoroscik. In “The Pommeler,” Nedoroscik would play himself, fatigued by his newfound fame and offended by people boxing him in as “the pommel horse guy,” but forced to embrace his gifts when his bronze medal is stolen. Creating a new vigilante identity, Nedoroscik sets out on getting it back and keeping the public safe. Hemmed in by his visual impairments, he proves to be more Mr. Magoo than Superman, subduing criminals through accidental means more often than intentional ones and relying on his pommel skills to get him out of bad scrapes.
