Casting Call: Pelé

In which we suggest who should star in the next big adaptation, remake, or historical film.

In 1958, Brazil won its first World Cup. Since then, it’s won another four—more than any other country. The soccer star that led the country to this victory: Edison Arantes do Nascimento, better known as “Pelé.”

This August, a Pelé biopic will go into production; a coming-of-age story that focuses on Pele’s rise from impoverished youth to soccer prodigy and culminates in the 1958 World Cup. The team behind the project, including Mr. Pelé himself, was at the Marche Du Film in Cannes last week, to promote the picture. The aim is to release the film alongside next year’s World Cup, which just happens to be in Rio de Janeiro.

Michael and Jeff Zimbalist are in line to direct the film from their screenplay. It’s a familiar genre for the two brothers, who previously directed The Two Escobars, which followed Colombian soccer star, Andres Escobar, during the 1994 World Cup, for ESPN Films.

Unfortunately, there are very few internationally recognized Brazilian actors, so we suspect the Zimbalist brothers might take the easier, Hollywood route when it comes to casting the film. After all, it takes a star to play a star.

Casting Call runs every Friday. For more, click here.