logo
SNL Film Lines Up Cast for Soccer Comedy ‘Olde Boys' as Screenbound Launches Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

SNL Film Lines Up Cast for Soccer Comedy ‘Olde Boys' as Screenbound Launches Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Yahoo20-05-2025

SNL Film has unveiled the cast and creative team behind soccer comedy 'Olde Boys.' The film is written, directed and produced by Nick Wilkinson, and with producer Lisa G. Black onboard too, and Screenbound handling worldwide sales.
The film begins principal photography this September in the U.K. and U.S.
More from Variety
Guillermo del Toro Teases 'Incredibly Emotional' 'Frankenstein' at Cannes: 'I'm Not Doing a Horror Movie'
Shia LaBeouf's Theater Company From Hell: Cannes Doc Reveals Actor's Misconduct With Students and Hopes for Redemption
Cannes Film Festival President Iris Knobloch Awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Culture Minister
The film tells the story of Mike Giordano, a small-town lawyer and weekend striker, whose over-50s soccer team is falling apart—until he enters them into the World Masters tournament in England with the help of his spirited teenage daughter and coach, Frankie.
The film stars Tuc Watkins ('Desperate Housewives,' 'Uncoupled') as Mike Giordano, the team's self-appointed leader and lovable schemer. Guy Nardulli is Nico Tavakoli, the prankster playmaker with a taste for risk. Jay Huguley ('12 Years a Slave') is Rob Mason, the gruff team captain hiding deep insecurities.
Ray Fearon ('Beauty and the Beast,' 'Harry Potter') is Travis Richards, the rock-star MVP (most valuable player), with demons to match his talent.
Cailey Fleming ('The Walking Dead,' 'IF') is in talks to play Frankie Giordano, the film's young heart and tactical genius. Shanley Caswell ('The Conjuring') is also in talks, with August Diehl ('Inglourious Basterds') attached in a pivotal role.
The project is being positioned as a smart, feel-good crowd-pleaser with broad global appeal, inspired by fan-favorite titles like 'Ted Lasso,' 'The Full Monty' and 'Fishermen's Friends.'
' 'Olde Boys' is a story I've lived and loved — about friendship, reinvention, and the beauty of the game,' said Wilkinson. 'This film celebrates that timeless feeling of still being young at heart, no matter what your knees tell you.'
Wilkinson's debut feature 'Death on the Brandywine' will screen in the Cannes market on May 19. It is a political murder mystery satire starring Kate Burton, Tuc Watkins, Guy Nardulli and Satomi Hofmann. It is currently selling in the market. Wilkinson penned, directed and produced alongside Black.
Black, known for titles such as 'The BirdCatcher,' 'Miles,' 'HEVN' and 'Almost Paris,' brings decades of experience to the project. She is also co-chair of the Producers Guild of America – capital region.
'Olde Boys' is set to premiere in 2026 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Denzel Washington Receives Surprise Honorary Palme D'Or Award at Cannes
Denzel Washington Receives Surprise Honorary Palme D'Or Award at Cannes

Epoch Times

time6 hours ago

  • Epoch Times

Denzel Washington Receives Surprise Honorary Palme D'Or Award at Cannes

CANNES, France—Actor Denzel Washington received a surprise honorary Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday evening in recognition of his outstanding career, according to organizers. Washington, 70, was in southern France for the premiere of director Spike Lee's latest film 'Highest 2 Lowest,' an adaptation of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's 'High and Low,' which also celebrated its premiere on Monday.

Killer thriller: Jai Courtney sinks teeth into 'Dangerous Animals'
Killer thriller: Jai Courtney sinks teeth into 'Dangerous Animals'

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Killer thriller: Jai Courtney sinks teeth into 'Dangerous Animals'

A serial killer and the hardened survivalist he aims to murder head out into shark-infested waters with not another soul in sight for miles. It sounds like the movie remix of the year. But to actor Jai Courtney, putting together serial killers and sharks in the same movie 'is the genre mashup of our dreams.' In Dangerous Animals, opening Friday, Courtney, 39, plays Tucker a deranged serial killer who uses sharks to sadistically dispatch his unsuspecting victims. He takes tourists visiting Australia out to sea for an up-close encounter with the deadly animals — with an emphasis on up close. 'It's a lot of fun,' the Aussie actor says with a chuckle via Zoom following the premiere of the horror thriller at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month. 'It mangles those two — sharks and serial killers — together, but at the centre of it, it's a survival thriller.' Courtney's psychotic boatman gets his kicks kidnapping unsuspecting visitors and feeding them to hungry sharks as he films the proceedings for his very own snuff movie collection. When we meet him, it seems that Tucker has been feeding live bait to the hungry predators for quite some time. Like the sharks he's so fond of, Tucker has become adept at seeking out his prey, targeting backpackers and vagabonds. After one gruesome kill, he celebrates by dancing around the main cabin in his underwear and a robe to Stevie Wright's 1974 classic, Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down). But he meets his match when he abducts a tough loner named Zephyr (played by Yellowstone star Hassie Harrison) who threatens to end his savage streak. At the first sign of resistance, Tucker seems to relish the challenge Zephyr presents. 'Makes for a better show,' he says, sneering. 'This was such a different and unique world,' Courtney says of playing the madman. 'There's a menace to him and a maniacal obsessiveness that's like fodder for an actor to grab hold of and chew on … He's an enthusiast and someone with a deranged philosophy about how he fits into the ecosystem as an apex predator.' Director Sean Byrne, who made his mark as a horror auteur with his debut The Loved Ones, which won the Midnight Madness audience prize at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, ratchets up the tension as Zephyr tries to save herself. Playing the foil to Harrison's determined heroine allowed Courtney to add to a roster of villains that includes an antagonist opposite Tom Cruise in 2012's Jack Reacher and the DC antihero Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad. After landing his breakout role alongside Cruise right out of the gate, Courtney joined a list of Australian actors, including Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and the late Heath Ledger, who became sought after quickly making their mark on Hollywood. Working with Cruise, he says, offered him an early education on professionalism and career longevity. 'Having Tom Cruise as the lead in the first big film I ever did was a true gift,' Courtney says. 'No one is as hard a worker as he is. It's an inspiration to see that kind of ethic and see someone care so much about (their work). To see him still killing it at 60-something … he's still making some of the most exciting films out there. He continues to be an inspiration for me.' Joining forces with Cruise led to work with Bruce Willis in 2013's A Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth and final entry in the long-running action series. He also booked a role as future resistance soldier Kyle Reese in 2015's Terminator: Genisys. A year later, he partnered with fellow Aussie Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad (a part he reprised in a 2021 sequel). 'I had a chance to share the screen with some real icons and that was a real privilege and an honour,' he says looking back on his meteoric rise. 'I've been part of some really cool classic action-franchise stuff.' Other notable roles followed, including a part in The Divergent Series. More recently, after welcoming a daughter with his partner, Saudi actress Dina Shihabi, he has appeared alongside Chris Pratt in Amazon's The Terminal List. Next up, he'll co-star in Netflix's forthcoming sci-fi thriller War Machine with Reacher star Alan Ritchson. But when his agent calls with the offer of another villain, he'll be all ears. 'There's just a lot of colour in there that you get to play with when you play those guys,' Courtney says. 'I'm no stranger to playing a bad guy. I'll probably continue that trend for years to come … hopefully.' Dangerous Animals opens in theatres Friday, June 6. mdaniell@ 'Terminator Genisys': Jai Courtney says new entry into series not a reboot or a prequel Aussie Jai Courtney talks about 'big' 'Die Hard' role

Bono Sparks MAGA Backlash After Joe Rogan Appearance
Bono Sparks MAGA Backlash After Joe Rogan Appearance

Newsweek

time8 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Bono Sparks MAGA Backlash After Joe Rogan Appearance

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Irish rock star Bono has come under fire from supporters of President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement after citing an academic who said the administration's cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may have been a factor in 300,000 deaths. Bono made the claim during an appearance on Joe Rogan's popular podcast which was released on Friday, after which he was branded "a liar/idiot" by former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk. Newsweek contacted USAID for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters After coming to power in January the second Trump administration ordered a halt to most foreign aid funding and attempted to shut down USAID, though this was blocked in court. Supporters argued cuts saved American taxpayers money that was being used ineffectively, while critics said it would hit some of the most vulnerable around the world. Bono at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2025, in Cannes, France. Bono at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2025, in Cannes, To Know During his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience Bono, a founding member of U2, said: "Just recent report, it's not proven, but there's surveillance enough [to] suggest 300,000 people have already died from just this cut off, this hard cut, of USAID so there's food rotting in boats, in warehouses, this will f*** you off." Bono appeared to be referencing research conducted by Boston University infectious disease mathematical modeler Brooke Nichols who concluded USAID cuts could have resulted in 300,000 otherwise preventable deaths, including 200,000 children. Bono's claim sparked a furious response from Trump supporters on social media including Elon Musk, who on Friday was given a large key by the president as thanks after stepping down from the day-to-day management of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a post on his X, formerly Twitter, website, referring to Bono, Musk said: "He's such a liar/idiot. Zero people have died!" He's such a liar/idiot 🤦‍♂️ Zero people have died! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2025 The tech billionaire was responding to Mike Benz, executive director of the Foundation For Freedom Online campaign group, who shared a clip of Bono's remarks adding: "These USAID numbers are f***** faker than their COVID numbers." Popular conservative X commentator Catturd added: "Elon Musk calls out low IQ moron Bono for being an idiot and a liar." However, Bono's comment was welcomed by the Protect Kamala Harris X account, which has over 90,000 followers and posts in support of the former presidential hopeful. The account shared a photograph on Bono, captioned: "RETWEET if you stand with Bono against Donald Trump!" What People Are Saying During his podcast appearance Bono said: "There is 50,000 tons of food that are stored in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and wait for it Houston, Texas, that is rotting rather than going to Gaza, rather than going to Sudan, because the people who know the codes for the warehouse are fired, they're done." In response, Joe Rogan said: "They're throwing the baby out with the bathwater, this is the problem, the problem is for sure there have been a lot of organizations that do tremendous good all throughout the world. Also, for sure it was a money-laundering operation, for sure there was no oversight, for sure billions of dollars are missing, in fact trillions, that are unaccounted for." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will succeed in its bid to close down USAID entirely or whether this will continue to be blocked in the courts.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store