Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton Star in Biopic ‘Eddie The Eagle’
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) stars as underdog Olympic skier Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards in the big screen sports biopic, Eddie the Eagle. Hugh Jackman co-stars as Edwards’ mentor, a ski expert who helps him train for the games.
Edwards competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, gaining distinction as the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping. An obvious dark horse, he faced major obstacles—lack of funding and severe farsightedness, which forced him to wear glasses under his goggles and left him virtually blind during jumps. He was dubbed “Mr. Magoo” by the press. Despite the fact that he came in last in the 70-meter and 90-meter ski-jumping events, he was viewed as a heroic figure.
Although the film has been labeled a biopic, Edwards says he was told only 10 or 15 percent of the picture will be based on his life. The Guardian quoted Edwards: “I’ve not really seen the script so I don’t know what they’ve picked out of the things that happened in my life and what is made up. There’s always a certain amount of [poetic license] but I’m kind of anxious—what exactly have they put in about my life and how have they portrayed me?”
The cast also features Christopher Walken (Jersey Boys), Jo Hartley (The Young Victoria), and Tim McInnerny (Johnny English Reborn).
Directing the movie is actor/filmmaker Dexter Fletcher, who last directed the dramedy Sunshine on Leith. The screenplay was written by Simon Kelton and Sean Macaulay, both of whom are making their feature film screenwriting debut with this project.
Jackman can currently be seen playing Blackbeard in the fantasy feature Pan.
Eddie the Eagle will soar into theaters April 29, 2016.
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Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton Star in Biopic ‘Eddie The Eagle’
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) stars as underdog Olympic skier Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards in the big screen sports biopic, Eddie the Eagle. Hugh Jackman co-stars as Edwards’ mentor, a ski expert who helps him train for the games.
Edwards competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, gaining distinction as the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping. An obvious dark horse, he faced major obstacles—lack of funding and severe farsightedness, which forced him to wear glasses under his goggles and left him virtually blind during jumps. He was dubbed “Mr. Magoo” by the press. Despite the fact that he came in last in the 70-meter and 90-meter ski-jumping events, he was viewed as a heroic figure.
Although the film has been labeled a biopic, Edwards says he was told only 10 or 15 percent of the picture will be based on his life. The Guardian quoted Edwards: “I’ve not really seen the script so I don’t know what they’ve picked out of the things that happened in my life and what is made up. There’s always a certain amount of [poetic license] but I’m kind of anxious—what exactly have they put in about my life and how have they portrayed me?”
The cast also features Christopher Walken (Jersey Boys), Jo Hartley (The Young Victoria), and Tim McInnerny (Johnny English Reborn).
Directing the movie is actor/filmmaker Dexter Fletcher, who last directed the dramedy Sunshine on Leith. The screenplay was written by Simon Kelton and Sean Macaulay, both of whom are making their feature film screenwriting debut with this project.
Jackman can currently be seen playing Blackbeard in the fantasy feature Pan.
Eddie the Eagle will soar into theaters April 29, 2016.