One of the great traditions of the Sundance Film Festival is their secret screening, previously unannounced title making an entrance on the world’s cinematic stage. Last year, Sundance selected the big budget misfire Jupiter Ascending…which didn’t exactly go over very well. Surely, the mood (as well as the altitude) proved a seemingly more appropriate fit for this years surprise: Eddie the Eagle, a bio centered around Britain’s first ski jumper to enter the Olympic Games.
Directed by Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill) from a Black Listed screenplay by Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton the film stars rising star Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), as Eddie Edwards, wannabe ski jumper to improbably qualified for the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, despite little actual talent at the sport. Hugh Jackman also stars as Edwards’ coach Bronson Peary. Produced by Egerton’s Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn, Eddie the Eagle appears angling as a crowd-pleasing import, a British Cool Runnings if you like. Both actors made surprise visits to Park City for the secret screening in Sundance.
Jackman stated, “It’s a perfect place to premiere, to be in this sort of environment, where there are jumps and people hanging out in the snow. Add some mulled wine and some fire pits and it would be perfect.”
Eddie the Eagle will be released theatrically on February 26th. Check out the trailer below:
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