Today, streaming services Netflix and Disney+ released trailers for two different basketball films, including Hustle (releasing June 8) and Rise (releasing June 24).
From Netflix, Hustle was directed by Jeremiah Zagar from a script by Taylor Materne and Will Fetters. The cast includes Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Juancho Hernangómez, Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards, Jordan Hull, Maria Botto, Ainhoa Pillet, Raul Castillo, Jaleel White, Heidi Gardner, and Robert Duvall.
In Hustle, Stanley Sugerman’s (Sandler) love for basketball is unparalleled, but the travel-weary Philadelphia 76ers scout who has higher ambitions of being a coach remains stuck on the road looking for the next unknown talent.
His search around the world leads him to Spain, where he discovers Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangómez), an incredible streetball player with a troubled past.
Stanley and Bo connect on and off the court with their passion for the game and as loving family men who want to prove they can win in basketball and in life. With the support of Stanley’s wife, Teresa (Queen Latifah), can the underdogs come out on top?
The producers include Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Zack Roth, LeBron James, and Maverick Carter. The executive producers are Taylor Materne, Will Fetters, Judit Maull, Dave Meyers, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, Barry Bernardi, and Kevin Grady.
Coming to Disney+ on June 24, Rise is based on the triumphant real-life story about the remarkable family that gave the world the first trio of brothers to become NBA champions in the history of the league – Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Laker Kostas Antetokounmpo, and their younger brother Alex.
Audiences have never seen a story like that of the Antetokounmpos. After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo (Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki, respectively) struggled to survive and provide for their five children while living under the daily threat of deportation.
With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn. When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, the brothers – Giannis (Uche Agada) and Thanasis (Ral Agada) – would play basketball with a local youth team.
Latecomers to the sport discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world-class athletes, along with brother Kostas (Jaden Osimuwa). With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA Draft in 2013 as a long-shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family.
And last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season’s champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. Rise stars Dayo Okeniyi, Yetide Badaki, Manish Dayal, and Taylor Nichols, introducing Ral Agada and Uche Agada.
The film was directed by Akin Omotoso (Vaya), written by Arash Amel (A Private War), and produced by Bernie Goldmann (300). Giannis Antetokounmpo and Douglas S. Jones served as the executive producers.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.