Stormzy’s film company to co-produce Ian Wright biopic

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Ian Wright’s early life is being turned into a film produced by rapper Stormzy’s film company.

The ex-footballer and former Match of The Day pundit only turned professional in his early 20s, going on to become one of Arsenal’s top scorers.

He has spoken before about his difficult childhood and rejections from multiple clubs as a teenager, but says the biopic will be the “first time we’re bringing it all together”.

Stormzy says it was an “honour” for his company #Merky Films to co-produce the film, helping to “bring such an important and powerful story to the screen”.

Wright was born in 1963 in Woolwich, London to Jamaican parents who had arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation.

According to the film’s producers, the biopic covers how football became “the young boy’s only escape from his tough home life”.

The former England striker has previously spoken about how his stepfather was abusive to him when he was young.

Sydney Pigden, the school teacher Wright has called “the greatest man in the world”, is also set to be a major character in the film.

He helped the future football star to read and write, and also encouraged the youngster to “believe in who he could be”.

Wright and Pigden were reunited while the footballer was filming a show, and clips of Wright’s shock during the emotional reunion are still widely shared.

The footballer’s struggles to win a professional contract are also set to form part of the film’s story.

In real life, he had unsuccessful trials for Southend United and Brighton & Hove Albion as a teenager, and played for an amateur Sunday league club where he was a top scorer.

According to the film’s announcement, the biopic follows him up to the moment when his “raw talent” finally gets him noticed by a professional football club, and he has to decide whether to “take a shot at the big time”.

“Telling my story in full for the first time feels surreal and, in some ways, a long time coming,” Wright says.

“I hope it shows how complicated life can be for a young person and the influence people around you can have – good and bad,” he adds.

“There are hard-hitting moments but in the end I want it to give people hope and joy.”

Stormzy, famously a Manchester United fan, says the footballer had “inspired generations on and off the pitch”.

The rapper, who will act as executive producer on the project, adds that Wright’s “journey goes far beyond football – it’s about resilience, family and believing in yourself against the odds”.

Wright, who retired from football in 2000, has had a successful career since as a broadcaster and TV personality.

He’s regularly appeared on the BBC’s World Cup coverage, and also featured on Match of the Day until 2024 – a year after co-host Gary Lineker was briefly suspended for comments on the UK government’s immigration policy.

Wright, who’s also been a vocal advocate for women’s football and spoken out about domestic violence, received an OBE from Prince William in 2023 for his work.

More recently, he co-managed a team with Lioness Chloe Kelly as part of the six-a-side Baller League tournament.

For the latest season of the competition, he managed the Wembley Rangers AFC alongside fellow former England footballer Alan Shearer.

Details of the cast, director and release date of the Ian Wright biopic will be revealed at a later date.

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Stormzy launches film company with starring role

Stormzy