EXCLUSIVE: With Wimbledon in full swing, here’s some news about one of their greats. Skydance Sports is coming aboard Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group biopic about Wimbledon tennis champ and African American civil rights activist Arthur Ashe. The Inspection and By Any Means director Elegance Bratton is in talks to direct.
Deadline previously told you that BlacKkKlansman Oscar winner Kevin Willmott is already set to write.
In addition to Hyde Park Entertainment and Skydance Sports producing together, Warner Music Group is securing the music and providing creative guidance to the production, the pic planning to include singles of the era from such artists as Aretha Franklin, Prince, Curtis Mayfield and others.
The Ashe movie is one that’s close to Amritraj’s heart, the producer being a former Wimbledon pro himself. Hyde Park obtained the full support of the Arthur Ashe Estate in developing the project. Ashok Amritraj and Priya Amritraj are producing. Chester Algernal Gordon is producing through their company Freedom Principle. Executive Producers are Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and Alexandra Dell.
Hyde Park
Ashe’s inspirational and aspirational story begins on the public courts in Richmond, VA, as he rises to become the only black man to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, ranking No. 1 in the world. In 1968 when Ashe wins the U.S. Open, it’s one of the most charged eras in American history as the nation struggles with the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., anti-Vietnam protests and the civil rights movement. Ashe forges his role within the black revolution in America, finding his own unique voice as he strikes a bold new path against apartheid in South Africa and helps open the country to freedom.
Jersey City, New Jersey born Bratton cut his teeth in filmmaking in the 2010s writing, directing and producing myriad projects including the short film Walk for Me and the reality TV series My House. Bratton’s feature directorial debut, The Inspection, which follows a young gay Black man’s enlistment in The Marines, world premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and was released by A24. The pic starred Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union and Bokeem Woodbine.
Bratton also recently directed the Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six’s crime thriller By Any Means starring Mark Wahlberg, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Giancarlo Esposito and Josh Lucas.
Skydance Sports first two projects include the Emmy nominated docu-series Good Rivals and the critically acclaimed Golden Globe nominated feature film Air, both streaming on Prime Video. In 2022, Skydance partnered with the NFL and NFL Films on a joint venture to significantly expand multi-platform programming across sports in a broad range of formats for partners, fans, and viewers around the world. The partnership’s projects include the upcoming docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys chronicling the Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty and franchise owner Jerry Jones, a documentary feature Elway, a docuseries on tennis icon Rafael Nadal, and WWE: Unreal all for Netflix, as well as the Hallmark Christmas movie Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, a docuseries on WNBA legend Diana Taurasi for Prime Video, a docuseries on the Kansas City Chiefs with ESPN, a docuseries on the San Francisco 49ers for AMC, a docuseries on the Women’s UConn Basketball team for Apple TV+, a scripted series for Hulu written and executive produced by Dan Fogelman set inside the world of the NFL, and a feature film about NFL player John Tuggle. Recently released projects include Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Stadium Lockup, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, Freediver, and the Sports Emmy-nominated NFL Draft: The Pick is In, Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, and Kelce.
Bratton is repped by WME, 2AM and Granderson Des Rochers. Willmott is represented by Gersh and Erik Hyman at Paul Hastings.
