Netflix is adding a new original film later this month. The Beautiful Game is the story of the real life Homeless World Cup and is streaming on March 29th.
Everyone loves a good underdog story, and Netflix's upcoming original movie is about those who could scarcely have had it tougher. It's based on the true story of the Homeless World Cup, an annual football tournament featuring teams of players facing homelessness and social isolation.
The event has grown in profile in recent years (thanks in part to the work of ambassadors like the actor Michael Sheen) and now it is being given the ultimate boost - a Netflix original movie. The Beautiful Game lands on the streaming service on March 29th.
Starring Bill Nighy and written by the great Frank Cottrell Boyce, this is a movie that has been in the works since 2021 and stars Nighy (with all of his usual dry humour) as the manager of England's Homeless World Cup squad. With just days left before the tournament, he calls up a former high-profile player now fallen on hard times (Micheal Ward, who you might know from Top Boy) to the team, but he has his own demons to face before he can shine on the field.
Going by the trailer it looks like the perfect Britcom to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially with its lush Rome setting and budding romance between Nighy and another of the coaches. This is a fictionalised story but in a brilliant touch, Netflix has confirmed that many of the players in the film are genuine Homeless World Cup participants of years gone by.
Of course, while this film will no doubt boost the profile of this brilliant event, they've been doing a pretty good job already! It has been running since 2003 with teams coming from 70 countries and over 1.2million players taking part. The 2024 edition is due to be held in Seoul, South Korea.
If you want something completely different but also a bit mushy, then Adam Sandler's new Netflix sci-fi movie is well worth a watch.
