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03rd Oct 2013

Colm Meaney set to star in Pele biopic

The actor will take the role of Swedish gaffer George Raynor, who we assume is a fan of the Nine playing Deep, in Space. Sorry.

JOE

The actor will take the role of Swedish gaffer George Raynor, who we assume is a fan of the Nine playing Deep, in Space. Sorry.

Considering he is not exactly shy, it is a surprise it has taken until now for the Brazilian superstar Pele to have his life made into a movie.

It has all the elements of a cracking flick, from his emergence as a 17-year-old superstar at the 1958 World Cup, to his third win in the tournament in 1970, to his New York Cosmos days and his life in Brazilian politics.

Now Michael and Jeff Zimbalist are making a movie about the Number 10, focussing on his rise to greatness from one of the poorest parts of Sao Paolo.

Two young kids will play the up-and-coming Pele and other names set to star are Vincent D’Onofrio as Brazil coach Vicente Feola while City of God’s Seu Jorge will play Pele’s Da, Dondinho.

Meaney plays Sweden’s British coach at the 1958 finals George Raynor, so we think we can assume the film will conclude on that famous final in Stockholm where Pele made his name. If you don’t know the result, we won’t spoil it for you…

Meaney did play Don Revie in The Damned United movie, so he has a bit of previous in the dug out, so to speak.

Will it be better than Pele’s famous starring role in the classic Escape to Victory?

A hard act to follow…

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