A sports comedy series combining the unlikely foursome of Damian Lewis, Cristiano Ronaldo, Matthew Vaughn and Thierry Henry has found a home at Paramount+.
In one of its first big greenlights since the Skydance merger, the streamer has made a straight-to-series order for Day 1s, which tells of a young soccer player playing for Brentford FC in the UK’s Premier League.
Day 1s is the first TV project from Ronaldo and Kingsman director Vaughn’s UR-Marv Studios and counts another soccer superstar, Henry, amongst its EPs. Producer Darren Dein conceived of the idea, Vaughn has directed the pilot and BAFTA-winner Dan Mazer (Borat) is set to showrun.
While in development, the show was reported to be about a soccer agent but the 10-parter in fact follows a gifted young player who achieves his dream of playing in the Premier League, bringing along his friends who stood by him long before the money, fame and success – his Day 1s.
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The project was the first TV show set at UR-Marv but it’s been a busy week for Ronaldo and Vaughn. We revealed late last week that their irreverent action-comedy Stuntnuts starring Chris Hemsworth and Sam Rockwell would be heading to the American Film Market. Alongside UR-Marv on Day 1s are Dein’s DoubleD Sports and Kris Thykier‘s Archery Pictures.
Day 1s is one of the first big bets placed by the new Paramount+ regime since the Skydance merger. Vaughn thanked the likes of Casey Bloys, Sarah Aubrey and Amy Gravitt for taking a chance on Day 1s. “It’s the perfect project for Cristiano and I to start our company with – and to say he is a friend and a partner is a true honour,” he added. “I’m sure the man who has broken every record in football will soon be doing the same in film and TV.”
Ronaldo said: “I’ve spent my entire life in football, and I know that some of the most powerful stories happen away from the pitch. Football is about dreams, ambition, loyalty, sacrifice and the people who believe in you from day one. That’s what makes Day 1s special. As a producer, I’m proud to help bring a different side of the game to life, through a story that I believe can connect with audiences far beyond football. To take this first journey in the industry alongside my partner and friend Matthew Vaughn and having a superb former player and a great person like Thierry Henry on board makes this all even more special.”
The series will be executive produced by Vaughn, Dein, Ronaldo, Henry and Lewis, along with Doug Ellin, Mazer and Thykier (Hijack). Vaughn is repped by WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Henry is repped by DoubleD Sports; Mazer is repped by CAA, LBI Entertainment and Davis Law Group;
Thykier is repped by Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang; and Lewis is repped by Markham, Froggatt & Irwin and Range Media Partners.