The life story of Olympic championJesse Owenscomes to the big screen next year in Focus Features’Race, which is set to hit theaters on August 01, 2025. Today,Yahoo! Movieshas the first trailer for this highly-anticipatedbiopic, which starsStephan Jamesas the track star who became a worldwide legend. The drama will go up against EuropaCorp’sShut Inand The Weinstein Company’sViralnext February.
Based on the incredibletrue storyofJesse Owens, the legendary athletic superstar whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off againstAdolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy.Raceis an enthralling film about courage, determination, tolerance, and friendship, and an inspiring drama about one man’s fight to become an Olympic legend.Jesse Owenswent on to win four gold medals during the 1936 Olympics, which were held in Berlin.
The supporting cast includesJason SudeikisasJesse Owens' coach and mentor Larry Snyder,Jeremy Ironsas Avery Brundage, the head of the American Olympic committee who fought to have the 1936 Olympics take place in Berlin,Carice van Houtenas Leni Riefenstahl, a Nazi propaganda filmmaker,Amanda Crewas Peggy andWilliam Hurtas Jeremiah Maroney, the Amateur Athletic Union president who spearheaded a movement to boycott the 1936 Olympics. The film was produced with the support of theOwensfamily, theJesse OwensFoundation, theJesse OwensTrust and the Luminary Group. Production took place last year in Montreal, where the 1976 Summer Olympics took place.
Shortly before the 1936 Olympics,Jesse Owensset a time of 10.2 seconds in the 100-meter dash, which stood as a world record for over 20 years. Unfortunately, his burgeoning track career was cut short after the Olympics, when his amateur status was revoked, making the Berlin games his first and only Olympic appearance. Much likeJackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball,Jesse Owenssucceeded despite racial hostility on and off the track.
Stephen Hopkins (The Reaping) directs from a screenplay by Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel (Frankie & Alice). Do you thinkRacehas what it takes to become an early hit at thebox officenext year? Or do you think this should be moved into this calendar year, so it can qualify for the Oscars? Take a look at the firsttrailerand let us know what you think.
