Lionsgate and Man United are reportedly working on a Crown-style TV series about one of the world’s most famous soccer clubs.
According to The Athletic, which broke the news, the show is in development and will tell stories from down the decades of Man Utd’s history.
The Athletic reported that an agreement has been reached, which will see Man United receive a guaranteed sum in the low multi-million pounds in the event the show is produced and sold. Future royalties will be shared between United and Lionsgate, it added. Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio was reported by The Athletic to have had conversations about the project.
The idea is to create a dynastic-style series for a big streaming platform. Man United have plenty history worth telling from down the years, from the 1958 Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup-winning team under Matt Busby, to Alex Ferguson’s domination of the Premier League era. Since Ferguson’s exit in 2013, fortunes have declined and the club most recently sacked manager Ruben Amorim after a topsy turvy reign.
Shows about soccer clubs are in vogue at the moment. A24 and Jack Thorne are working on a series about Liverpool FC and its legendary manager Bill Shankly, while Sony and Manchester City struck a content deal that could lead to a “Succession for football,” according to Sony international boss Wayne Garvie.
Deadline has reached out to Lionsgate and Manchester United.
