Lace up your cleats because the 1999 United States Women’s World Cup soccer team will have their story told on Netflix and portrayed by quite a squad of actresses soon.
Athletes such as Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly and more will be portrayed in the feature treatment heading to the streamer.
For everything we know about ‘The 99’ers,’ read on:
What is The 99’ers about?
The feature adaptation will draw from Jeré Longman’s book, The Girls of Summer: The US Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.
The book follows the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in 1999, capturing how they overcame odds to win the World Cup final in a penalty kick shootout against China that fateful hot summer surrounded by 93,000 fans. The 1999 World Cup was hosted by the United States of America, and the win changed the course of women’s sports and ignited a reign by U.S. Women’s Soccer, an organization of which excellence is now expected.
Who is in the cast of The 99’ers?
Josh Charles (Best Medicine) is the latest to join the cast of the feature film.
Emily Bader (My Lady Jane, People We Meet on Vacation) was the first actress to be cast in the movie. She will portray retired soccer star Mia Hamm, which Deadline exclusively reported. Next came Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague), who landed the lead role of Marla Messing, trailblazing U.S. Women’s soccer executive who oversaw the 1999 World Cup tournament which set TV viewership and attendance records.
Deadline broke the news of Emilia Jones (Task, CODA) and Alessandro Nivola (Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, The Brutalist) joining the project to portray midfielder, co-captain and then captain of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and member for 17 years Julie Foudy and the team’s head coach from 1994-1999, Tony DiCicco.
RELATED: Netflix’s ‘The 99’ers’ Adds Six To Cast
Deadline also exclusively reported six more actresses joining the cast in early March — Julia McDermott (Women of the Movement), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Perry Mattfeld (Chad Powers), Annabel O’Hagan (Fallout), Lizzy Greene (Ransom Canyon), and Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan).
McDermott will play defender Brandi Chastain, with Wilson as goalkeeper Briana Scurry, Mattfeld as forward/midfielder Michelle Akers, O’Hagan as ’99 World Cup team captain Carla Overbeck, Greene as midfielder Kristine Lilly, and Fuhrman as defender Joy Fawcett.
Who else is behind The 99’ers?
Nicole Kassell (Watchmen, Sirens) is set to direct from a script by Katie Lovejoy (Love at First Sight, To All the Boys: Always and Forever) and Dana Stevens (The Woman King, Fatherhood) and Peter Hedges. Jill Mazursky and Jamee Decio were the first writers on the project.
RELATED: U.S. Women’s World Cup Soccer Docuseries Ordered By Netflix
Liza Chasin is producing for 3Dot Productions, under the company’s deal with the streamer, alongside Hayley Stool and Ross Greenburg, with Marla Messing, Jill Mazursky, and Krista Smith exec producing.
Has The 99’ers started production?
Yes, the cast have posted photos of various moments on set from sweaty workouts to other prep for their roles.
