If there’s anything we’ve learned from Ted Lasso (Did you watch that season finale? Fuck you, Nate!), it’s that there are many ways to build a winning team. And that’s a lesson Michael Shannon will try to impart in Heart of Champions (formerly titled Swing), only the sport isn’t soccer; it’s rowing.
When was the last time we had a good rowing movie? True Blue? Anyway, Shannon plays Army veteran Jack Murphy who takes charge of a college rowing team in disarray after finishing last in the championship.
The cast includes Heels star Alexander Ludwig, Riverdale‘s Charles Melton, plus Alex MacNicoll, Ash Santos, and JAG actor David James Elliott.
Insight into the world of rowing and the military comes from writer Vojin Gjaja, a rower at Columbia University and US Army veteran. Behind the camera is director Michael Mailer.
Heart of Champions opens on October 29th.
After finishing last in the national championship, a college rowing team descends into turmoil and constant infighting between team leaders Alex (Alexander Ludwig), Chris (Charles Melton), and John (Alex MacNicoll). A tough Army veteran, Coach Murphy (Michael Shannon), arrives at the start of the new season to transform the status quo and unlock their true potential. Using his experience and unconventional methods to help them overcome petty rivalries and personal challenges, Coach Murphy must inspire these young men to learn what it takes to be a team before they can be champions.