All the way back in March of 2007, Christopher Campbell shared word that the epic soccer player Pelé had signed on with the William Morris Agency (WMA), who were going to package a film in his honor. Finally, The Hollywood Reporter posts that FreemantleMedia Enterprises has signed a development agreement for the company to have "global rights to commission a biographical documentary," a deal brokered by the WMA.Considering the amount of time it took to just get a deal for the rights, I imagine it will still be a long while before we see Pelé's life in documentary form. No director or producer has been selected, however, the plan is to release it on television, rather than the big screen. Unlike the myriad of biographies on the soccer star, this project is said to have "unparalleled access" to his life.
In case you haven't heard about the legend (in which case you should really read up), here's a brief rundown. He was a poor young man in Brazil who become a professional soccer player at 15, was on the national team by 16, the youngest person in a World Cup final at 17, the youngest to win, and he continued to have a long career that was so popular that a 48-hour ceasefire was held during the Nigerian Civil War so that his exhibition game in Lagos could be enjoyed. Now that is a sports star. I just wish it was a story hitting theaters too. Maybe that will come later.
