Tennis is hot! Naomi Osaka recently released her Netflix mini-series and now Warner Brothers announce King Richard, a movie about the Williams sisters’ father.
King Richard is definitely not a low-budget production. We’re talking Warner Brothers with Will Smith as the lead role, playing Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. The film is about their journey together to become the world-famous, legendary players that they are today. It wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of their father, Richard Williams.
You can read more about Richard Williams and his past on his Wikipedia page. This segment I found pretty enlightening about Richard’s character and background:
He took tennis lessons from a man known as “Old Whiskey” and decided his future daughters would be tennis professionals when he saw Virginia Ruzici playing on television. Williams says that he wrote up a 78-page plan, and started giving lessons to Venus and Serena when they were four and a half, and began taking them to the public tennis courts. He would later add that he felt like he took them too early, and the age of six would have been more suitable. Soon he got them into Shreveport tennis tournaments. In 1995, Williams pulled them out of a tennis academy, and coached them himself.
Serena won the US Open in 1999; Venus beat Lindsay Davenport to win the 2000 Wimbledon title. After that victory, Richard shouted “Straight Outta Compton!”,in reference to a song by N.W.A based in Compton, California, the same area in Los Angeles where the family once resided. He jumped over the NBC broadcasting booth, catching Chris Evert by surprise and performing a triumphant dance. Evert said that the broadcasters “thought the roof was coming down”.
King Richard – the movie (the trailer)
This movie seems like a must-watch for tennis fans. It comes out in theaters on November 19, 2021.
I will watch and give you my review when I have. Keen to hear what you think as well. My prediction is that it will be more of a feel-good film like the “Pursuit of Happyness” (a must-watch if you haven’t seen it) than a documentary-style film trying to get all the facts right. This is the kind of movie that Will Smith does best and I’m sure he will be great in it.
Have you watched the Osaka Netflix series yet? Thoughts?
