Gerard Butler is to star in a new football film called Dynamo, which centres on “The Death Match” of World War II.
The film will be based on Andy Dougan‘s book Dynamo: Defending The Honour Of Kiev, which tells the true story of a legendary 1942 football match between a team of occupied Ukrainians and their Nazi oppressors.
The Nazis set up the match to be a one-sided contest, but the Ukrainians pulled off an unlikely 5-3 victory at Kiev’s Zenit Stadium, boosting morale across the entire city. Butler will star as Nikolai Trusevich, the winning team’s leader and goalkeeper.
Dougan’s book has been adapted for the screen by Eli Richbourg, a writer-producer best known for his work with director Joel Schumacher. According to Deadline, Dynamo‘s producers are now in talks with potential directors, with filming set to take place in Europe next year.
Meanwhile, Butler’s latest film is a biographical drama called Chasing Mavericks, based on the friendship between legendary surfer Jay Moriarty and the grizzled veteran who trained him. It opens in UK cinemas this Friday (November 2) and you can watch the trailer below.