‘The Brighton Miracle,’ With Temuera Morrison as Giant Killing Rugby Coach Eddie Jones, Picked Up by Blue Sky Media (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comPatrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Japan rugby union team on Sunday thrashed tournament newcomers Chile 42-12 on the first weekend of the freshly kicked-off Rugby World Cup.
But in 2015, Japan were the underdogs and yet pulled off a surprise result against rugby titans South Africa. In the first ever match between the two nations Japan won 34-32, due to an 80th minute try. “The Brighton Miracle,” a docu-drama capturing and re-constructing that shock match, has been picked up by Blue Sky Media.
The film was produced by Syn Entertainment and the rights outside of Japan were brokered by producer’s rep Summer & Co. The film was written and directed by Max Mannix (“Dance of the Dragon,” “Tokyo Trial,” “Rain Fall”).
Mannix, himself a former professional rugby player, lived more than a decade in Japan and wrote the Kurosawa Kiyoshi-directed “Tokyo Sonata,” which debuted in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2008. “The Brighton Miracle” follows Eddie Jones, played in re-enactments by New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison (“The Book of Boba Fett”), the Australian-Japanese coach who had previously been technical consultant to South Africa when the team won the World Cup in 2007.
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