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  "path": "/celebrity/stormzy-arsenal-ian-wright-biopic",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-12T20:17:57.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Channel 4 Gogglebox star Amy Tapper shares hopes for motherhood following impressive weight loss",
    "Emmerdale fans 'switch off' from soap as they blast plot line: 'Ruining the show!'",
    "Lorraine Kelly makes feelings clear on Baftas snub: 'Got one for being alive!'",
    "View this post on Instagram",
    "A post shared by Ian Wright (@wrightyofficial)",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\nStormzy’s production company #Merky Films has announced it will co-produce an official biopic based on the life of Arsenal legend Ian Wright.\n\nThe Brit Award-winning grime artist will serve as executive producer on the project, which follows Mr Wright’s journey from a difficult childhood in South London to becoming one of England’s most celebrated footballers.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTom Wilton, whose credits include Muscle and A Love Letter to M, has written the screenplay and will direct the film.\n\nThe production has been described as “the story of a Black British boy born to first-generation Caribbean immigrants against a backdrop of a working-class South London community, as relevant today as it was in the ’70s”.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Wright grew up on the Honor Oak Estate in Brockley, where football became an escape from a troubled home life.\n\nHis parents were part of the Windrush generation, and their experiences as Caribbean immigrants shaped much of his upbringing.\n\nTeacher Sydney Pigden recognised Mr Wright’s talent and encouraged him to believe in himself, athough his football dreams were nearly derailed by rejection, anger issues and personal struggles during his teenage years.\n\nThe future England striker briefly spent time in prison as a teenager and became a father at a young age before eventually being signed by Crystal Palace from non-league football in his early twenties.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSpeaking about the project, Mr Wright said: “Telling my story in full for the first time feels surreal and, in some ways, a long time coming.”\n\nHe added: “I hope it shows how complicated life can be for a young person and the influence people around you can have - good and bad.”\n\nStormzy said he was “proud” to help bring Mr Wright’s “important and powerful” story to the screen, describing it as a story about “resilience, family and believing in yourself against the odds”.\n\nThe producing team includes Academy Award-nominated Sara McFarlane and Stephen Tottingham, while casting directors Carolyn McLeod and Matt Sheppard will begin searching for actors this summer.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Channel 4 Gogglebox star Amy Tapper shares hopes for motherhood following impressive weight loss\n  * Emmerdale fans 'switch off' from soap as they blast plot line: 'Ruining the show!'\n  * Lorraine Kelly makes feelings clear on Baftas snub: 'Got one for being alive!'\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBoth celebrities and fans of the star were quick to their share thought on the collaboration online.\n\nFootballer Gary Lineker responded with three clapping emojis, while Shay Gunnar joked he was there if the film needs a \"young Ian\".\n\nLauren Laverne commented: \"Amazing news! What a story.\"\n\nOne fan posted: \"This is really exciting! It’s going to be brilliant.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n>        View this post on Instagram            \n>\n> A post shared by Ian Wright (@wrightyofficial)\n\nAnother added: \"It’s gonna be amazing!\"\n\nSomeone else called it a \"legendary link up\".\n\n\"Fully deserved,\" another person wrote.\n\nLast year, Stormzy made his acting debut in Big Man, a 20-minute short film shot entirely on an iPhone 16 Pro as part of Apple’s Shot on iPhone series.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDirected by Academy Award-winner Aneil Karia, the film became the first project in the campaign to be filmed entirely in the UK.\n\nStormzy starred as Tenzman, a disillusioned musician whose life is transformed after meeting two young boys.\n\nThe short premiered on YouTube and later became one of the UK’s most watched titles on Prime Video.\n\nMr Karia praised the iPhone’s flexibility and intimacy for filmmaking, while cinematographer Stuart Bentley said the technology could inspire a new generation of filmmakers.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Stormzy delights fans with 'exciting' Arsenal icon Ian Wright biopic project: 'Legendary!"
}