NYAD, the true story of tenacity, friendship and the triumph of the human spirit, is coming to select theaters on October 20 and will be available to stream on Netflix November 3.
NYAD, which recounts a riveting chapter in the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad, is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexual abuse, some strong language and brief partial nudity.
Three decades after giving up marathon swimming in exchange for a prominent career as a sports journalist, at the age of 60, Diana (four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening) becomes obsessed with completing an epic swim that always eluded her: the 110 mile trek from Cuba to Florida, often referred to as the “Mount Everest” of swims.
Determined to become the first person to finish the swim without a shark cage, Diana goes on a thrilling, four-year journey with her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster) and a dedicated sailing team.
NYAD stars Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans, Ethan Jones Romero, Luke Cosgrove, Jeena Yi, and Eric T. Miller.
The inspirational film marks the narrative directorial debut of Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue). The screenplay is by Julia Cox.
NYAD is produced by Andrew Lazar and Teddy Schwarzman. The executive producers include Bill Johnson, Jim Seibel, Michael Heimler, Vanessa Humphrey, Julia Cox, and D. Scott Lumpkin.
The Mad Chance Productions and Black Bear Pictures film was adapted from the memoir Find a Way, by Diana Nyad and officially described as follows:
“Hillary Clinton said that Find a Way would stay with her through the general election: ‘When you’re facing big challenges in your life, you can think about Diana Nyad getting attacked by the lethal sting of box jellyfishes. And nearly anything else seems doable in comparison.’
“When Diana Nyad arrived on the shore of Key West after fifty-three hours of grueling swimming across an epic ocean, she not only set a world record — becoming the first person to swim the shark-infested waters between Cuba and Florida with no cage for protection — she also succeeded in fulfilling a dream she first chased at age twenty-eight and at long last achieved when she was sixty-four.
“Now, in a riveting memoir, Diana shares a spirited account of what it takes to face one’s fears, engage one’s passions, and never ever give up.
“For no matter what life may throw at you, or how many times you may have experienced defeat, it is always possible – as long as you commit to living life to the nth degree, no regrets – to ‘find a way.'”
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.