NBA all-star Joel Embiid‘s Miniature Géant, in collaboration with Lebron James‘ athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted and Anakle films, has unveiled plans for its latest project, ‘Backline’, a narrative feature about African athletes breaking into professional American football. The movie will be written and directed by Editi Effiong, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s ‘The Black Book’. Production is set to begin in 2025.
Inspired by the true stories of current NFL athletes, ‘Backline’ follows two Nigerian friends who aim to fulfil their dreams of playing professional football in America. According to Variety, filming locations will be split between Nigeria and the United States.
According to Statista, the ethnicity player stats in the NFL in 2023 revealed that the league comprised 53.5 percent Blacks or African Americans, followed by whites with 24.4 percent.
“‘Backline’ is a story about the undefeatable strength of the human spirit, of hope, of friendship, and a drive to rise above one’s difficulties. From the moment I spoke to the young athletes who actually made the journey to play football in the U.S., telling this story has been a sweet obsession,” said Effiong. “We are excited to welcome Joel Embiid, Miniature Géant, and Uninterrupted to this exciting project that will inspire audiences worldwide.”
Embiid founded Miniature Géant in 2023 in partnership with The SpringHill Company, an entertainment and production arm founded by James and Maverick Carter. The studio aims to highlight individuals who have taken nontraditional paths to success through unscripted, scripted, audio, and branded content. Embiid’s journey from Yaounde, Cameroon, to the NBA serves as a guidepost for the types of stories Miniature Géant produces.
The executive producers for ‘Backline’ include Osi Umenyiora, a former NFL player and two-time Superbowl champion, Effiong, and Anakle Films, which is represented by 3Point0 Labs.
In 2023, the NFL gave roster spots to eight players for the 2023 season via the league’s International Pathway Program. Six of them were from Nigeria and discovered by Umenyiora, also of Nigerian descent, through his ‘The Uprise’ initiative, which hosted the first NFL Africa talent camp in 2022.
The six Nigerian players who got NFL roster spots that year are defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi (Broncos), offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick (Chiefs), defensive lineman David Ebuka Agoha (Raiders), defensive lineman Basil Chijioke Okoye (Chargers), offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka (Bears) and defensive lineman Kenneth Odumegwu (Packers).
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