Biopic of Leicester City Phenomenon Jamie Vardy is Coming!
The film about Jamie Vardy’s rags to riches rise to fame looks like it might actually happen. It will depict the life as well as career of the striker born in 1987 before his bringing glory to Leicester City in 2016 Premier League.
Knightsbridge Films has announced Simon Egan, Gareth Ellis-Unwin and Adrian Butchart will be the project producers. All the three are British. The duo of Simon Egan and Gareth Ellis-Unwin produced The King's Speech, winning an Oscar for Best Picture in 2011. Meanwhile, Adrian Butchart wrote the screenplay of Goal. depicting the life of skilled footballer Santiago Muñez.
In May 2012, Vardy signed for Leicester City in the Football League Championship for a non-League record transfer fee of £1 million, and helped the team win the Championship in 2014. In the 2015-16 Premier League season, he scored in eleven consecutive Premier League matches, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record, and was voted the Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year as outsiders Leicester won the title.
The film, charting the 29-year-old's five year rise from non-league journeyman to Premier League champion.
However, following the Three Lions' dismal early exit those plans now look set to be shelved.
A source told the Daily Star: “There will be more focus now on Leicester.â€
Butchart said: “This film has already gathered so much attention from the public, the media, and the entertainment industry, some considerate it as the sport success story of the century, that there were multiple offers on the table. But when Simon and Gareth expressed an interest in being involved, there was no question in my mind that they were the right partners.â€
Egan added: “Gareth and I are thrilled to be producing this movie with Adrian. This true-life, rags-to-riches story of Vardy and his team, Leicester City, transcends far beyond sport; it’s the stuff dreams are made of.â€
Former footballing hardman-turned-movie sort of star Vinnie Jones has now confirmed rumours he could play ex-Leicester manager Nigel Pearson in the big screen biopic.
"I've been approached and I've said that I'm interested," says Jones, "but there's still a long way to go before that goes into production or anything comes from it. I would like to do it though," he said.
The Leicester striker scored a crucial equaliser against Wales in the group stage but only started one match in France and was unable to help prevent England from crashing out of the competition on Monday night against Iceland.
Shooting for the movie will begin at the start of the new season with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson is set to play the role of Vardy.