Universal Pictures will develop a film feature about a youth soccer club based on an article written by Warren St. John for the New York Times.
- Jan 25, 2007
AceShowbiz - Taking notice on interesting topic, Universal Pictures has purchased the rights to a New York Times article about a group of soccer-playing refugee kids to develop it into a big screen feature, The Hollywood Reported has learned.
The rights to the article, written by Warren St. John and published last Sunday, January 21, were bought along with the life rights to the soccer team's coach, a Jordan-born woman named Luma Mufleh. It is reported that the deal was worth between $2 million and $3 million and includes funds for a small soccer stadium plus the establishment of a foundation that will benefit the refugees.
Seating as the project's producers are Stuber/Parent's Scott Stuber and Mary Parent plus Kennedy/Marshall's Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall with Tom Lassally executive producing. The film itself is likely to focus on the team, dubbed the Fugees, who got help from Mufleh to make their way to the semi-finals of a soccer championship where they faced against an elite Atlanta soccer academy.
