“Rise” is a new original film for Disney+. The film follows the rise of the Antetokoumpo brothers and especially Giannis career.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the new streaming movie.
- Rise is a 2022 American biographical sports-drama film
- The film is directed by Akin Omotoso
- From a script written by Arash Amel
- It is based on the true story of three young Nigerian-Greek brothers, Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo
- They emigrate to the United States and rise to fame and success within the National Basketball Association
- The film stars newcomers Uche Agada, Ral Agada, and Jaden Osimuwa in the three primary roles
- With Elijah Shomanke, Yetide Badaki, and Dayo Okeniyi in supporting family roles
- Rise was produced by Walt Disney Pictures
- It was released as a Disney+ original film on June 24, 2022
- In October 2020, a biographical film centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family was announced to be in development from The Walt Disney Studios
- Developed under the working title of “Greek Freak” (a basketball nickname for Giannis)
- With Akin Omotoso serving as director from a script written by Arash Amel
- The project was stated to show “through faith, determination, and their unbreakable bond, [the Antetokounmpo family] unite[s] to lift themselves out of a life of poverty as undocumented immigrants living in Greece”
- Bernie Goldmann was announced to serve as producer
- While Giannis serves as executive producer
- Production was tentatively scheduled to commence some time in 2021, in Greece and the United States
- In March 2021, newcomer Uche Agada was cast to play Giannis Antetokounmpo after seeing a social media post from the NBA star regarding an open casting call for the role
- Yetide Badaki and Dayo Okeniyi were cast in supporting roles as the parents of Giannis, Veronica and Charles Antetokounmpo
- In October of the same year, the official title of the film was revealed to be Rise
- The rest of the cast was announced with Ral Agada as Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Jaden Osimuwa as Kostas Antetokounmpo, and Elijah Shomanke as Alex Antetokounmpo
- Manish Dayal and Taylor Nichols were revealed in supporting roles as Giannis’s talent agent named Kevin, and the General Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks named John Hammond
- Maximiliano Hernández, Eddie Cahill, Pilar Holland, and McColm Kona Cephas Jr. also joined the cast
- Giannis Antetokounmpo made the official statement in his role as executive producer
- Principal photography was revealed to have already commenced in October 2021
- With official production photos released by Disney
- Rise is filmed in Athens,Greece
- Making it the first Disney production filmed entirely in Europe
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