The Walt Disney Studios is said to be developing the film ‘Greek Freak’, a live-action feature inspired by the true life story of NBA Allstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family. Acclaimed Nigerian film director Akin Omotoso will be helming the project.
Giannis Antetokounompo is one of the young exciting stars who is currently playing in the NBA. He has been an NBA AllStar four years in a row and has won his second MVP in a row in 2019 and 2020. He got drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, back in 2013, making him one of the youngest players to be drafted into the NBA. “Greak Freak” has been his nickname, which he has lived upto, backed up by his recent back-to-back MVPs.
His younger brother Kostas has just won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. The film will focus on the lives of the Antetokounmpo family who lifted themselves out of poverty as undocumented Nigerian immigrants living in Greece, through love, determination and their unbreakable bond between them.
Disney has always been bringing great sports stories (which are also true) to life on screen, including the Kurt Rusell starrer ‘Miracle’. The film told an incredibly true story of the 1980 U.S. Men’s Hockey Team who went on to beat the Russian team (the top seeded team at the time), and then later beat Finland to win the gold medal. The Russian defeat at the hands of the U.S. is still considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sporting history.
Arash Amel has already penned to script for the ‘Greek Freak’. Arash Amel is an acclaimed screenwriter who has worked on films like ‘Grace of Monaco’ and ‘A Private War’. Giannis himself is set to be an executive producer for the upcoming Disney project. The production of the film will begin in 2021 in Antetokounmpo’s native Greece as well as in other U.S. locations.