Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything, a new feature-length documentary following the world’s number one snooker player, is set to premiere next month in select cinemas nationwide and on Prime Video, but you can get a first look at the trailer from David Beckham’s Studio 99 by clicking above.
The film is directed by Sam Blair (Make Us Dream, Keep Quiet, Maradonna ‘86), and edited by Sam Blair and Paul Monaghan. Cinematography by Edward Edwards (Grenfell; The Untold Story), and an original score by BAFTA-nominated Roger Goula (All That Breathes, Make Us Dream), it is produced by James Davidson for Studio 99 (Beckham, Save Our Squad), and Executive Produced by Nicola Howson, David Gardner, Ross Connolly and David Beckham. Distribution is by MetFilms.
The film will debut in a one-night-live premiere screening on 21 November, featuring a Q&A with Ronnie O’Sullivan, Executive Producer David Beckham, and a special guest host that will be streamed live to select cinemas nationwide. The documentary will be available on Prime Video in the UK & Ireland from Thursday 23rd November and will open in select cinemas on 24 November.
In 2021, Ronnie O’Sullivan made the decision to allow total access to his life for the first time ever, at a moment when he was beginning to consider a world beyond snooker, opening the doors to his personal life and a remarkable cast of characters for the very first time. Facing the end of a wildly successful but turbulent career, the snooker legend found himself on the verge of a career-defining tournament to win the snooker World Championship for a record 7th time. With the cameras rolling, Ronnie was pulled back into the dark side of competition that he was ready to leave behind.
Sam Blair’s film explores how one of the most revered and accomplished British sporting heroes is able to function at the highest level despite a constant battle with his inner demons. The film focuses on understanding the player’s genius, illuminating his past through never-before-seen archive family footage and charts his rise to fame from his early teens and the mental challenges he has overcome in the pursuit of perfection. Featuring intimate and revealing interviews with Ronnie O’Sullivan and some of his closest family, friends and competitors – including Damien Hirst, The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, snooker legends Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry – Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge Of Everything is a character study of a genius in action.
O’Sullivan said: “My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement. Going into my 7th World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in ended up driving me on in many ways and gave me a different perspective.”
“Throughout the making of this film, Ronnie allowed his charisma, complexities and contradictions to appear naturally,” said Sam Blair. “He was profoundly himself, raw and unfiltered, and that made the often awkward and complicated situation of making a film simple for me. My job, as I explained to Ronnie, was to do justice to his story and his experience, and to do that we had to find ways for the audience to grasp the full bandwidth of his experience—from rapture to meltdown. I see the film as a collaboration with Ronnie to achieve that aim, and I think its power is that we get to see that full range unfold in the present tense. It is a film about a great artist at work, but also about a person struggling with themselves and the factors in their life that are out of their control.”
For Studio 99, Nicola Howson said: “Ronnie is a complex genius who defied convention and captured the hearts and admiration of snooker fans over many years. His story is quite simply remarkable and will have deep resonance with audiences. We’re grateful to Ronnie and Sam for creating this unflinchingly honest and raw account of what it takes to be a champion.”
Michael Burns
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