CNN
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The brand new movie “Fantasy Soccer” capitalizes on a few of its stars pure expertise.
Marsai Martin channels a number of girl-boss power enjoying Callie Coleman, a tech-savvy younger lady whose father’s lengthy profession within the NFL lands him with the Atlanta Falcons group.
Her manufacturing firm is behind the family-friendly movie. (Martin, 18, set a Guinness World File in 2020 because the youngest Hollywood government producer to work on a significant manufacturing.)
She and costars Omari Hardwick (Bobby Coleman), Rome Flynn (Anderson Fisher), together with the movie’s director Anton Cropper, not too long ago spoke with CNN after they appeared at a Falcons sport held at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
It was acquainted environment because the group shot loads of scenes for his or her film there.
The plot facilities round Callie’s father, performed by Hardwick, seemingly on the finish of his profession when his daughter discovers she will be able to management his strikes by way of enjoying the Madden soccer online game.
Martin sees the position during which her character additionally makes associates with the robotics membership group members at her new faculty as extra than simply enjoyable with its optimistic message about range in expertise.
“I’ve met so many ladies who’re in to expertise and STEM (science, expertise, engineering, and arithmetic) or are all about Black ladies coding,” she stated. “It’s vital to shine a lightweight on it as a result of it’s a really huge deal. It’s all about illustration.”
For Hardwick, the mission gave him the chance to lean into his soccer roots.
Earlier than he grew to become well-known for his work in roles like James “Ghost” St. Patrick on “Energy,” the Savannah, Georgia native performed as a defensive again on the College of Georgia and later tried out with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent.
“It feels unimaginable to be proper again right here at house,” Hardwick stated. “That is clearly my hometown group…however I by no means obtained to play for the Falcons. With this movie, I obtained to do my factor.”
Hardwick additionally identified that it was acceptable that they have been attending a sport during which the Atlanta Falcons have been enjoying the Chicago Bears on condition that Rome Flynn, who performs Bobby Coleman’s rival, the hotshot younger quarterback Anderson Fisher, grew up in Chicago.
Flynn informed CNN that not like their characters, he and Hardwick had no competitors between them as main males.
“It’s all love,” he stated smiling. “We respect one another and we introduced out the very best in one another.”
“Fantasy Soccer” debuts Friday on Paramount+.
