Summary

George Clooney hopes his new film, The Boys in the Boat, will uplift viewers after the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clooney believes that the film’s story of strangers uniting and overcoming challenges can remind us of the spirit of togetherness. The theatrical release of The Boys in the Boat has an unconventional schedule, with limited showings on Sunday, December 17 and a wide release beginning on Christmas Eve.

George Clooney hopes to lift the spirits of moviegoers this Christmas. Clooney’s latest directorial effort, The Boys in the Boat, is based on the real-life story of the University of Washington’s rowing team, which competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. And after the hellish events of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clooney wants his inspiring sports drama to uplift those who see the film. Clooney said in an exclusive interview with MovieWeb:

“We liked it. We love sports films. I don’t know how you feel about them, but I love old sports films. I thought it was a good time. You know, we’ve all just been through such hell from the pandemic, all that sort of polarizing stuff we are going through and are going through, an election and all of that.”

Clooney added:

“And it felt like a time that we should remind ourselves that we’re better off together. And that we actually like each other. And that these guys who were strangers and desperate and hungry reminds us of sort of the spirit of what we can be.”

Related: The Boys in the Boat Trailer Reveals George Clooney’s Inspirational New Movie

Uplifting George Clooney
Jersey Films

In 1997, George Clooney found himself in need of some serious uplifting after the disastrous way critics and fans responded to Batman & Robin, in which Clooney first portrayed Bruce Wayne and his brooding alter ego. After the superhero film bombed, Clooney knew he needed his next project to be a success. So, the actor waited for about a year and then the screenplay for Out of Sight (1998) found its way into his hands. While the script was solid, the project’s original director didn’t want to be involved after learning that Clooney was attached to star in the lead role. In Clooney’s own words (per GQ):

The director quit because he said I wasn’t a movie star, which is fair enough because he was probably right.

So, the story of a career criminal (Clooney) falling in love with one of the cops (Jennifer Lopez) pursuing him needed someone new at the helm. Enter: director Steven Soderbergh. Clooney and Soderbergh meeting for the first time to work on Out of Sight was serendipitous, to say the least, because their creative teaming not only produced a critically acclaimed film (94% Tomatometer), but it led to their most successful collaborations from 2001 until 2007: the Ocean’s trilogy. And that chance meeting on Out of Sight helped cement the fact that the actor was more than a television fixture (The Facts of Life, Sisters, ER), Clooney became a bona fide movie star — and he also went on to become a fine director.

The Boys in the Boat’s theatrical release is a bit unconventional as Clooney’s latest directorial effort drops in theaters on Sunday, December 17, for a series of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. (ish) showings, depending on location (per Fandango). The movie then drops everywhere on Christmas Eve (the following Sunday) for its run in U.S. cinemas.