Trailer for Disney’s ‘Rise’ Movie About Basketball’s Antetokounmpos
by Alex Billington
May 10, 2022
Source: YouTube
“When one person in the family scores, the whole family scores.” Disney has revealed an official trailer for an inspirational true story basketball movie titled Rise, from Nigerian filmmaker Akin Omotoso. Instead of a making a documentary or even a hybrid series, they decided to make a fictional feature, starring various actors playing the Antetokounmpos family. “Audiences have never seen a story like that of [this family].” Based on the real story about the family that produced the first trio of brothers to become NBA champions in the history of the league. Originally from Nigeria, their parents moved to Greece where they struggled to make ends meet on the streets of Athens – until three of their kids became basketball stars and eventually got drafted into the NBA. Rise stars Dayo Okeniyi Yetide Badaki as the parents, Charles Vera, with Uche Agada as Giannis, Ral Agada as Thanasis, and Jaden Osimuwa as Kostas. In real life, last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season champs, the L.A. Lakers. Check out the Disney basketball film below.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Akin Omotoso’s Rise, direct from Disney’s YouTube:
After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles Vera Antetokounmpo (Dayo Okeniyi Yetide Badaki) struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation. With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn. When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, the brothers – Giannis (Uche Agada) and Thanasis (Ral Agada) – would play basketball with a local youth team. Latecomers to the sport, they discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world class athletes, along with brother, Kostas (Jaden Osimuwa). With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA Draft in 2013 in a long shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family. And last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. Rise is directed by Nigerian filmmaker Akin Omotoso, director of God Is African, Man on Ground, Tell Me Sweet Something, Vaya, A Hotel Called Memory, and The Ghost and the House of Truth previously. The screenplay is by Arash Amel. Disney will debut Rise streaming on Disney+ starting June 24th, 2022 this summer. Does this look good?