Stormzy will be executive producing the official biopic of Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright under his own #Merky Films company.
The film and television production company was launched by the rapper last year as an expansion of his #Merky brand, and aims to champion British storytelling and create a platform for underrepresented voices.
Today (Tuesday May 12), an Ian Wright biopic has been confirmed, which will tell the story of how the footballer overcame hardships to eventually become Arsenal’s second-top goal scorer and Crystal Palace’s Player of the Century.
It will explore his story as a Black British boy born to first-generation Caribbean immigrants, against a backdrop of a working-class South London community.
“Ian’s journey begins on the Honor Oak Estate in Brockley, south London, where football is the young boy’s only escape from his tough home life,” an official synopsis reads. “Schoolteacher Sydney Pigden recognises Ian’s struggles and dares him to believe in who he could be. Despite this spark of hope, by his teens, Ian’s dreams of becoming a footballer are falling apart as rejection, oppression, and his own internal rage take their toll.”
“By the time he is in his early 20s, Ian’s hope has faded, not least because he strives to be the parent he never had. But with his raw talent finally causing a stir, Ian faces a life-altering choice – risk the only security he has ever known, or take one last shot at the big time,” it adds.
