ESPN Films’ sports docuseries “30 for 30” will launch five new docus this summer.
The upcoming slate features docs about topics including gamer brand FaZe Clan, former track and field superstarButch Reynolds, and comedy and sports YouTube creator company Dude Perfect.
The summer lineup will launch on June 4 with Kathleen Jayme and Asia Youngman’s “I’m Just Here for the Riot.” about the infamous 2011 Vancouver riot following a Canucks loss to the Boston Bruins during the Stanley Cup final, the film chronicles the event and its aftermath while also raising deeper questions about fandom, violence, and the shocking power of an angry crowd.
The remaining four docus on the slate are: Ismail Al-Amin’s “False Positive,” Justin Staple’s “No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan,” Jay Caspian Kang’s “American Son,” and Oliver Anderson and Louis Burgdorf’s “Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot.”
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“Our upcoming ’30 for 30′ installments encapsulate the true spirit of sports and entertainment, offering an immersive experience into the lives, triumphs, and challenges of the fascinating subjects and events we delve into,” says Marsha Cooke, ESPN Films’ VP and executive producer. “With our filmmakers and production partners pouring their passion into creating captivating and emotionally resonant stories, we can’t wait to share these compelling narratives, taking our audiences on unforgettable journeys through the rich tapestry of sports and human resilience.”
This year marks the 15th anniversary of “30 for 30,” which Bill Simmons and Connor Schell co-created in 2007. Three of the five “30 for 30” docus launching this summer are executive produced by Words + Pictures, the production company that Schell, the former ESPN content chief, launched in 2021.
“Being involved with “30 for 30″ since its inception, it’s important to me to continue to be part of the series, just now from the filmmaker side,” says Schell, CEO of Words + Pictures. “This summer marks an exciting chapter for Words + Pictures as we partner with ESPN Films, continuing our journey with a series we all deeply cherish and take pride in.”
The “30 for 30” summer slate will begin to roll out on ESPN and ESPN+ on June 4 and will conclude on Aug. 3.
Watch the series’ summer trailer below.
“30 for 30” summer 2024 programming slate:
“I’m Just Here for the Riot”
June 4
On June 15, 2011, the Canucks’ Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Boston Bruins sparks a massive riot in downtown Vancouver. Police cars are overturned and burned, windows are shattered, stores are looted, and waves of young people are caught up in the mayhem. “I’m Just Here For The Riot” chronicles the aftermath of an event captured on hundreds of cell phone cameras; the rioters are outed, shamed, and see their lives altered forever. From the mob mentality in the streets to similar vengeance in the online hunting of those responsible, it is a dark moment in the city’s history – one that raises deeper questions about fandom, violence, and the shocking power of an angry crowd.
Directed by Kathleen Jayme & Asia Youngman. Executive Produced by ESPN Films.
“False Positive”
June 11
Butch Reynolds was one of the biggest track and field stars in the world, a talent in his prime on top of his sport. But when he took a drug test in Monaco in the summer of 1990, his career was upended, and his life was forever changed. Yet then and now, the facts of the case shed more than considerable doubt on what happened – instead revealing the tale of a man falsely accused and still compelled in many ways to fight to clear his name all these years later. “False Positive” tells Reynolds’ story in full, beginning with his childhood in Akron, Ohio, to global fame, to his subsequent suspension by the IAAF. It would take years for him to put his life back together, and to this day, the ban continues to shadow his legacy. False Positive delves into Reynolds’ relentless battle to clear his name, revealing systemic flaws within sports governance and the enduring impact of false accusations on an athlete’s legacy. As the documentary makes clear, when it comes to a story like his, the real truth is found beyond the headlines. And it’s that truth that ultimately defines who a person really is.
Directed by Ismail Al-Amin. Executive Produced by ESPN Films and Hock Films.
“No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan”
July 1
“No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan” is a wide-ranging, eye-opening, and unsparing documentary of the popular gaming brand, and the remarkable series of ups and downs that have defined that story and its characters over the last decade-plus. For years now, the growth of esports has been one of the defining stories of entertainment – financially, socially, and culturally. And at the center of all that growth has been FaZe Clan, an organization that’s gone from the brainchild of a few gamers streaming their play on the internet to publicly traded company with teams and players all around the globe competing professionally in an array of games. The film explores questions about the costs of their rapid growth and extraordinary success – specifically in the form of the impact on the founders of the team, a number of whom have struggled with significant personal problems. And even as FaZe has come to encompass stars and performers from the traditional sports and entertainment worlds, even in the wake of the company’s public offering, the financial viability of the whole enterprise hardly appears stable. Through it all, esports are undoubtedly here to stay. But No Scope makes clear that the path from here is anything but assured.
Directed by Justin Staple. Executive Produced by ESPN Films and Words + Pictures.
“American Son”
July 29
“American Son” captures a pivotal moment in sports and history, as it chronicles the remarkable journey of Michael Chang, a young tennis prodigy whose ascent to fame coincided with an unfathomable and unforgettable upset of Ivan Lendl at the 1989 French Open. The documentary delves into Chang’s upbringing shaped by his family’s immigrant experience, his rapid rise in the tennis world, and the challenges he overcame to achieve success.
Directed by Jay Caspian Kang. Executive Produced by ESPN Films and Words + Pictures.
“Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot”
Aug. 3
“Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot” traces the meteoric rise of a group of friends from College Station, Texas, whose backyard antics evolved into a global sports-comedy phenomenon. Beginning with their humble origins filming trick shots for YouTube, the documentary delves into the journeys of Tyler Toney, Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, and Cody Jones as their group, Dude Perfect, became a cultural phenomenon with a massive media following, a live tour, and ambitious dreams of an amusement park. The film highlights key moments in their trajectory, including reclaiming a Guinness World Record for the “tallest shot” by launching a basketball from the top of the Strat Tower in Las Vegas. Beyond the laughs and daring feats, it explores the challenges and sacrifices behind building Dude Perfect as a business and sustaining their camaraderie amidst growing success. As the group faces hurdles and pushes boundaries, their story resonates as a testament to teamwork, ambition, and the captivating drama that mirrors the best narratives in sports
Directed by Oliver Anderson and Louis Burgdorf. Executive Produced by ESPN Films and Words + Pictures.
