Pole-vaulting champion Armand “Mondo” Duplantis might be on his way to another record, as Red Bull Studios continues selling “Born to Fly,” a documentary feature about his life.
So far, the film has been picked up by Germany (Sky), France (Canal+), Switzerland (3+ and RTS), Norway (NRK), Finland (MTV3), Spain (Movistar Plus+), Belgium (VRT) and Estonia (ERR).
“We are delighted to partner with broadcast partners throughout the world to showcase this incredible athlete and his sport to global audiences,” said Sebastian Burkhardt, head of partnerships and commercial strategy at Red Bull Studios.
Related Stories
VIP+Apple Vision Pro Clouds the Bright Future for XR
'The Masked Singer' Season 12 Premiere Reveals Identity of Leaf Sheep: Here Is the Celebrity Under the Costume
Directed by Brennan Robideaux – who followed Duplantis for six years – it shows his rise from a child prodigy to world champion and Olympic gold medalist. Just in September, he set a new world record.
Popular on Variety
“Everyone in my town knew of the Duplantis family, but not much about them. The same goes for pole vaulting itself,” said the director, who was “immediately stuck by his passion.”
“I was fixated on a kid so intensely focused on one goal – and the origins of that mentality – as well as an exploration of a sport that people know so little about, especially in America. Coming from a smaller town, I can’t say I’d ever met anyone with dreams that lofty and certainly none with the skills to back it up. Mondo was truly an outlier.”
Red Bull Studios produced the film with Robideaux’s Robi Creative, BCII Production and Backflip Media Stockholm. Following theatrical release in Sweden – with public broadcaster SVT airing the broadcast premiere – it will have its North American premiere at the Austin Film Festival.
“It was always going to be a present tense journey of Mondo trying to become the best, but I also knew that the rich backstory of his and his father’s life were critical. It’s both a biopic and a coming-of-age tale,” added Robideaux.
“I went at this alone for so many years and spent whatever savings my wife and I could pull together. Many times, I’d find myself saddened when Mondo would have a setback at a major competition. Both as a friend and as someone who was struggling to get by. But those setbacks were some of the more pivotal moments in the final film,” he said, recalling the long process of making the doc.
“When you spend weeks in Europe sleeping on floors and surviving on basically a jar of peanut butter, only for Mondo to be eliminated, coming home to your tired wife who has worked extra night shifts at the hospital to pull in some cash and then having to promise her that ‘one day be this will be something’… Yeah, it was difficult to stay focused.”
Now, he is hoping “Born to Fly” will find an audience also outside of the world of sports.
“It’s a story of a father and son that also happens to document the journey of one the greatest athletes of our time. Someone who will likely dominate track and field for decades to come, and set records that fundamentally change the sport forever. There’s something for everyone, I think,” he noted.
“I became a better filmmaker along the way, that’s for sure. There’s frankly nothing worse than having to sit with an editor to review some of your original footage and realize how lacking it is. But I’m proud of it in the end, because that was my journey. I was 21 when I started filming. I’m 28 now, with my first child on the way. I have changed a lot.”
While sports are “naturally dramatic,” finding the personal story behind the drama and having someone willing to share it is even more important.
“I have not yet seen ‘Beckham,’ but I can speak of a similar phenomenon. My wife, who never had any semblance of interest in American football, watched [Netflix series with Patrick Mahomes] ‘Quarterback’ and is now a big fan, eager to catch the game on Sunday.”
“That’s pretty remarkable and I’m encouraged that the big companies and rights holders of these sports are recognizing this. All they need is a filmmaker with a vision, because there are many stories to be told. And yes, I am available!”
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
All ‘Harry Potter’ Movies to Get Theatrical Re-Releases in China (EXCLUSIVE)
New Live Music Data Suggests Cautious Optimism
China Box Office: Thai Comedy ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Climbs to Third, as ‘Alien: Romulus’ Reaches $100 Million Milestone
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Sets Theatrical Release in China Ahead of U.S.
Cloud Adoption Key to Media Business Exploiting AI
China Box Office: ‘Transformers One’ Takes Top Spot on Quietest Weekend of the Year
Most Popular
Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…
Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’
‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker
‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)
Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…
Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’
‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’
Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Charli XCX Reveals Features for ‘Brat’ Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More
Indian King of Comedy Kapil Sharma, Star of Busan Film ‘Zwigato,’ Takes On Global Streaming With Hit Netflix Show (EXCLUSIVE)
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2Fjp%2BgpaVfnLmwrsClZqudlGKvtrjLZpmoqp5iwbB5xaWwZpmioq6vsIydrKmkkaPBqr%2BMamlsbWdqhXeCkGg%3D