With Stormzy acting as executive producer and #Merky Films as co-producers, a new biopic chronicling Ian Wright’s life is formally in development.

The film will go into the very personal and emotional journey of one of England’s most adored athletes, going far beyond a football narrative. Wright’s ascent is presented as a tale of resiliency, survival, and incredible tenacity. It begins with a traumatic childhood affected by trauma and instability and ends with the life-altering influence of supporting characters around him, such as a teacher who believed in him and a protective elder brother.

The biography, which takes place in working-class South London in the 1970s and 1980s, centers on a young Black British boy who was born to first-generation Caribbean immigrants and tries to forge a destiny that goes well beyond the constraints imposed on him. Wright was a Sunday league football player who struggled to maintain his faith while managing the hard realities of poverty, responsibility, and structural impediments long before he became famous, scored goals, and gained international attention.

Wright would go on to become one of the most recognizable names in English football, winning Player of the Century at Crystal Palace F.C. and establishing legendary status at Arsenal F.C. as the team’s second-highest goalscorer at the time.

He shared the field with some of the era’s most iconic players, such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane, during his 33 caps with the England national football team.

After retiring in 2000, Wright effectively rebuilt himself as one of the most well-liked and captivating football commentators in the UK, emerging as a significant cultural personality whose influence goes well beyond the game itself.