Small Axe and Top Boy star Micheal Ward is set to lead 'The Beautiful Game', a new Netflix film about a group of English homeless footballers who compete in the Homeless World Cup.
Led by their coach Mal, played by Bill Nighy, the film follows the team as they travel from London to Rome for the Homeless World Cup. At the last minute they decide to bring with them talented striker Vinny, played by Micheal Ward), but "he must confront his own issues and once-promising past in order to help the team and move on with his own life" as announced by Deadline.
“The Beautiful Game is a film about succeeding against the odds. Our film shows the joy, drama and excitement of this real life tournament and the enormous potential of people left behind by society,” said British film producer, Graham Broadbent. “We’ve worked closely with the Homeless World Cup Foundation and our writer Frank has met many players from who’s real life stories he has created our characters, and we’re happy to welcome many former players from the real tournament to be a part of the filming in Rome and London.”
“We are incredibly excited to be the focus of the upcoming film The Beautiful Game. The Homeless World Cup is our contribution to tackling the homeless problem across the globe but there is so much more to do,” added Mel Young, President and Founder of the Homeless World Cup Foundation. “We have proved just how powerful football can be when it is applied to a social problem and we will keep striving to do more. We hope that the work we do being told in The Beautiful Game inspires more people to join in and support future Homeless World Cups and together we can all aim to end homelessness forever."