PremiumChampions hits OTT in India: Hollywood's take on Spanish film Campeones now streaming ahead of Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par
Woody Harrelson’s Champions is now streaming on Netflix in India, while Aamir Khan prepares for its Hindi remake, Sitaare Zameen Par.
Last Updated: 06.00 PM, Sep 10, 2024
It's a known fact that Aamir Khan's upcoming film is Sitaare Zameen Par, which is the Hindi remake of the Spanish film, Campeones. In 2023, Hollywood debuted the adaptation of the 2018 film, which has made its way to OTT in India. Yes, Champions, the 2023 sports comedy-drama, is now available on Netflix following its earlier release on JioCinema. Based on a screenplay by Mark Rizzo, the film marks Bobby Farrelly's solo directing debut.
Plot Overview: Woody Harrelson leads a unique basketball team
In the film, Woody Harrelson's character, a ranting minor league basketball coach, must lead a squad of intellectually disabled players as a community service requirement after his arrest. Cheech Marin, Ernie Hudson, and Kaitlin Olson are also in the cast. The film narrates the poignant and humorous story of a former basketball coach in the lower leagues, who, after a series of missteps, finds himself compelled by the court to lead a team of individuals with intellectual disabilities. After initially having his concerns, he realises that this squad is capable of more than they could have ever dreamed.
Despite receiving mixed reviews upon its release in the US, Champions managed to earn $19 million at the box office.
The original Spanish film Campeones (2018) and its impact
Javier Fesser wrote and directed the 2018 Spanish sports comedy-drama Campeones, while David Marqués wrote the screenplay. Despite not receiving a nomination, the 91st Academy Awards selected it as Spain's Best Foreign Language Film. Additionally, the theatrical screenings of the documentary Ni distintos ni diferentes: Campeones, based on the real-life experiences of the film's characters, began in Spain.
Production on an Arabic-language version of the film started in 2020; it had a commercial release in Saudi Arabia on March 10, 2022. Christoph Schnee's Weil wir Champions sind was a German-language version that came out in 2022.
Aamir Khan’s Hindi adaptation Sitaare Zameen Par
In February 2024, Aamir Khan announced that filming would begin on the Hindi adaptation of the film. The finalized title, Sitaare Zameen Par, is reminiscent of his 2007 directorial debut, Taare Zameen Par.