| Champions | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bobby Farrelly |
| Screenplay by | Mark Rizzo |
| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | C. Kim Miles |
| Edited by | Julie Garcés |
| Music by | Michael Franti |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Focus Features |
Release dates |
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Running time | 124 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $19.2 million[2][3] |
Champions is a 2023 Americansportscomedy-drama film directed byBobby Farrelly in hissolo directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Mark Rizzo. It is an English-language remake ofthe 2018 Spanish film of the same name. The film starsWoody Harrelson as a temperamentalminor-league basketball coach who, after an arrest, must coach a team of players with disabilities as community service.Kaitlin Olson,Ernie Hudson, andCheech Marin also star.
Champions was released in the United States on March 10, 2023, byFocus Features. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $19 million.
Marcus Marakovich, a hot-headed assistant coach for a minor league basketball team in Iowa, gets fired after shoving the head coach and later crashing into a police car while drunk. Given the choice between jail or community service, he chooses to coach a team of players with learning disabilities, *The Friends*.
Initially resistant, Marcus begins to bond with the team and reconnects with Alex, the sister of one player, Johnny—who he previously had a fling with. As Marcus learns to care about the players and their lives, his attitude shifts. He tries to use the team’s success as a stepping stone to the NBA, but after a series of personal revelations and missteps—including hurting Johnny and being manipulative—he changes course.
In the face of funding issues and personal struggles, the team makes it to the Special Olympics finals. Though they lose, they consider themselves champions thanks to Marcus’s growth and their own perseverance.
Marcus declines an NBA offer, stays in town, and begins coaching at Drake University. He and Alex start dating, and Johnny moves in with friends. In a post-credit scene, Showtime finally lands his signature backward shot.
Principal photography took place inWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from November to December 2021, with some scenes being filmed in Albany, New York, United States.[6]Extras were sought with a casting call through St. Amant, a non-profit organization that works with Manitobans who have developmental disabilities and autism.[7]
Champions was originally scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on March 24, 2023, byFocus Features, oppositeLionsgate'sJohn Wick: Chapter 4.[8] In January 2023, the release date was moved to March 10, 2023.[9][2][10] The film had its red carpet premiere at theAMC Lincoln Square Theatre inNew York on February 27, 2023.[11]
The film was released digitally on March 28,[2][10] followed by aBlu-ray andDVD release on May 2.[12]
The movie has also been remade in Hindi asSitaare Zameen Par starringAamir Khan as the lead, scheduled to release on 20 June 2025.[13]
Champions grossed $16.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $19.2 million.[3][2]
In the United States and Canada,Champions was released alongsideScream VI and65, and was projected to gross around $5 million from 3,030 theatres in its opening weekend.[14] The film made $1.8 million on its first day. It went on to debut to $5.2 million, finishing in seventh.[15] It made $3 million in its second weekend, finishing in eighth.[16]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 59% of 128 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Although its apparent attempts to be uplifting can often come across as patronizing,Champions is an amiable enough comedy with some seriously talented stars."[10]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[17] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those atPostTrak gave it an overall 83% positive score, with 66% saying they would definitely recommend it.[15]
