Nike founder Phil Knight just turned 80 years old. His life and business have been more influential on the sports world than maybe any other human still on the planet. Now it looks like that life is going to be turned into a movie for Netflix and the project is being shepherded along by legendary producer Frank Marshall.
A Netflix press release quotes Marshall as saying that his relationship with Knight began with Marty McFly’s futuristic sneakers in Back to the Future II. “Ever since our collaboration on BTTF and being a runner myself, I’ve always been fascinated by Phil’s story and how the company came to be. It’s an amazing tale about what the path to success really looks like, with its mistakes, struggles, sacrifice and even luck. It’s about how a company can grow with the right people, dedication, a belief in the power of sport and a shared mission to build a brand that would change everything.”
So far everyone is mum on what we will actually see in the movie, but it is safe to assume that a casting calls will go out to find someone to play Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. There might also be an exploration of Knight’s desire to turn his alma matter, the University of Oregon, into a college sports powerhouse and Nike’s lasting influence on the Olympics.
