The Day the Dinosaurs Died (BBC2)
Founded by Sam Barcroft in 2003, Barcroft Studios was early out of the gate when it came to recognizing the value and reach of online video. Beginning as a news agency, the production outfit gained visibility through embracing digital publishing and creating niche channels that would attract millions of views. That is still a significant portion of its business, with 500 million views per month for Barcroft content via social media and its own factual channel, truly.
But as the company’s reputation for sharp, zeitgeist-tapping content grew, so did its client base, which now ranges from Netflix and Snapchat to PSBs such as the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5, and cable nets including Discovery.
Olympic gymnast
Kerri Strug became an American hero overnight thanks to her gold medal-winning final vault at the 1996 summer Olympic games. The story took the nation by storm, and now it will be told on the big screen in
Perfect, a new film that will be directed by
Olivia Wilde (
Booksmart). After an extensive search for a young star to take the lead role, the filmmaker has chosen
Jojo Rabbit star
Thomasin McKenzie to vault into the “intimate and unflinching portrait of grit and determination.”
If you’re not familiar with Kerri Strug’s story, here’s a great profile of her famous moment from the Olympics:
Thomasin McKenzie (
Leave No Trace) is set to star in Olivia Wilde’s upcoming biopic on Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug in
Perfect. According to Deadline, Wilde will direct from a script by Ronnie Sandahl for Searchlight.
Described as “an intimate and unflinching portrait of grit and determination,
Perfect charts the story behind Kerri Strug’s historic Olympic vault to secure America’s first ever gymnastics team gold.”
Strug was a member of the 1996 United States Olympic gymnastics team that was later dubbed ‘The Magnificent Seven’. She is known for vaulting during the competition and injured her ankle on her first landing, but despite the injury she still did her second vault. Despite having and landing on her broken ankle, Strug still won herself and the team a gold medal for her second vault.
According to Deadline,
Jojo Rabbit star Thomasin McKenzie has officially been tapped for the leading role in Olivia Wilde’s upcoming sports drama biopic titled
Perfect, centered around legendary gymnast Kerri Strug’s historic win at the 1996 Olympics. The film will be directed by Wilde from a script written by Ronnie Sandahl (
Borg vs McEnroe). Production will begin in January 2022.
This marks the 20-year-old New Zealand actress’s first major feature as the solo lead after her supporting performances in Taika Waititi’s acclaimed dramedy
Jojo Rabbit, and Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang. She will next be seen in Edgar Wright’s long-awaited psychological horror pic