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Akin Omotoso's biographical sports-drama Rise, scheduled to drop on Disney+ this Friday, June 24, 2022, at 3 AM ET, will narrate the real-life story of the Antetokounmpo brothers - Giannis, Thanasis, and Kostas - as they face insurmountable challenges while striving to achieve exceptional success in the NBA.
Since dominating the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo has not only won the hearts of millions but has also earned himself a great deal of glory as one of the world's finest basketball players. In previous seasons, the star hooper has won the NBA Championship and received the titles of Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and League MVP thrice in the last couple of years.
A biopic about the NBA's "Greek Freak" and his ascent to success is now on the way, much to fans' delight. The Disney+ original movie Rise will narrate the true events surrounding the Antetokounmpo family as they became the first-ever record-breaking trio of brothers in NBA history to win championships, with Giannis and Thanasis representing the Milwaukee Bucks and Kostas representing the Los Angeles Lakers.
Everything you need to know about Rise, the Disney+ original film on the Antetokounmpo brothers
Earlier on May 10, Disney dropped the official trailer for Rise, offering a glimpse into the remarkable journey of Giannis and his brothers breaking into the NBA. Helmed by Omotoso and executively produced by Antetokounmpo, the film will feature Uche Agada and his brother Ral Agada as Giannis and Thanasis, respectively.
Uche commented on this golden opportunity of a lifetime, saying:
"I was just layin' in bed one day and I was goin' on Instagram. And I see a screenshot of a tweet that Giannis put out saying that Disney's making a movie about his life and his family's life and they're looking for someone to play him and his brothers. So, I just clicked on a link and I just send a video, just talking about myself. A few months later, I got a call back. And eventually they told me I got the part, which is absolutely incredible."
Revealing the casting details of his brother, he added,
"And then, couple weeks later, they asked me if I had any siblings and I said I had an older brother."
Official synopsis of the movie
The essence of the movie is perhaps best captures in Disney+'s own description of the upcoming release. The official synopsis for Rise states:
"After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation. With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn. When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, the brothers - Giannis and Thanasis - would play basketball with a local youth team."
The synopsis further continues:
"Latecomers to the sport, they discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world class athletes, along with brother, Kostas. With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA Draft in 2013 in a long shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family. And last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season champs, the Los Angeles Lakers."
Rise will depict the Antetokounmpos brothers' attempts to support their family while facing deportation and trying to procure Greek citizenship, after Charles Antetokounmpo and his wife Vera migrated to Greece from Nigeria. Meanwhile, Thanasis and Giannis start playing basketball as part of a neighbourhood team and discover their love for the game. Their potential to shine comes forth when Giannis, Thanasis, and Kostas are ultimately recruited in the NBA draught, moving step-by-step towards what will be known as the greatest trio in the history of the NBA.
According to reports, NBA star Giannis said while commenting on Rise:
"Everybody talks about us, about me, Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex, and Francis, but they always leave out our parents you know, my dad and my mom. So, you know, we knew that one day we were going to tell them, like, who the real heroes of this story are, of this journey are."
He added:
"Everybody that played our family, they did an unbelievable job. We feel like they're our family now and they're a part of us."
Alongside real-life brothers Uche and Ral Agada, the cast of Rise also includes Jaden Osimuwa as Kostas, Dayo Okeniyi as Charles, and Yetide Badaki as Vera. Reportedly, Manish Dayal and Taylor Nichols will also be making appearances in the film.
Rise will exclusively premiere on Disney+ on June 24, 2022.
