He’s considered one of the best soccer players of all time… And, now Pelé’s life story is heading to the big screen.
Pelé, the biopic about the legendary 73-year-old Brazilian soccer star, is scheduled to hit theaters sometime in 2014.
But sadly, it doesn’t look like the film will be ready for delivery before this summer’s soccer World Cup, as previously planned, due to a lengthy spell in post-production and reshoots for the project.
Written and directed by Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist, the film stars newcomers Leonardo Lima Carvalho and Kevin de Paula, who will both portray the soccer star at different stages in his young life.
The film is described as an origins story, chronicling Pele’s rise from the slums of Sao Paulo to become the people’s hero when, as a 17-year-old, he led Brazil to its first World Cup victory, in 1958.
Carvalho will play Pelé between ages 10 through 13 and De Paula will play him between the ages of 13 and 17.
Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta, Colm Meaney and Seu Jorge also star.
Also in the cast are Brazilian actors Marianna Nunes, Milton Goncales, Rafael Henrique, Marcus Vinicius, Julio Levy, Thelmo Fernandes, Felipe Simas, Charles Myara, Jerome Franz and Roger Haag.
Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Seine Pictures‘ Ivan Orlic are producing Pele with Kim Roth and Colin Wilson executive producing.
