Washington DC [US], January 28 : Actor and producer Zoey Deutch has been roped in to play the lead role in 'The 99'ers', a true-life sports drama being developed by Netflix, the streaming platform announced. The film will be directed by Nicole Kassell, best known for her award-winning work on HBO's Watchmen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Deutch will portray Marla Messing, a pioneering executive of U.S. women's soccer who played a key role in organising and overseeing the landmark 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. The tournament went on to set new benchmarks for attendance and television viewership and is widely regarded as a turning point for women's sports globally.
'The 99'ers' is adapted from journalist Jere Longman's book The Girls of Summer: The US Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.
According to Netflix, The 99'ers follows the 1990s US Women's National Soccer Team who, in 1999, under the scorching summer sun and in a stadium filled with 93,000 fans, defied the odds to emerge victorious in a dramatic penalty kick shootout against China in the World Cup final. The monumental win captivated millions worldwide and forever altered the course of women's sports, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project is being produced by Liza Chasin under her 3Dot Productions banner, along with Hayley Stool and Ross Greenburg. Messing has also joined the film as an executive producer, alongside Jill Mazursky and Krista Smith.
Actor Emily Bader, known for People We Meet on Vacation, is already on board to play football legend Mia Hamm. Shooting for the Netflix feature is scheduled to begin in February in New Jersey, as per the outlet.
The screenplay has been written by Katie Lovejoy, Dana Stevens and Peter Hedges. Deutch, meanwhile, is enjoying a strong run with her recent Sundance Film Festival outing Celebrity Sex Pass and is also set to appear in Netflix's romantic drama Voicemails for Isabelle, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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