The Boys in the Boat film adaptation is putting together its team. Today, Deadline revealed that the George Clooney produced, and directed project has tacked on a long list of talented actors to head the story. Included in the casting announcement are Joel Edgerton (The King), Jack Mulhern (Mare of Easttown), Sam Strike (EastEnders), Luke Slattery (Late Night), Thomas Elms (The Order), Tom Varey (Ridley Road), Bruce Herbelin-Earle (Free Rein), Wil Coban (Zack Snyder’s Justice League), and Hadley Robinson (Moxie). The long list of top tier talent will join the previously announced Callum Turner (The Last Letter from Your Lover) to take on the adaptation.

Writer Mark L. Smith will adapt the story from author Daniel James Brown’s beloved novel The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The book, which came out in 2013, quickly became a favorite between critics and readers alike. The novel follows the true story behind the University of Washington’s rowing team that traveled to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin to represent the United States and, much to the surprise of many, brought home the gold.

The tale weaves together two stories. The first follows the team of young men and the hardships they faced attempting to scrimp and save their way to get through college following the fallout of the Great Depression. It also follows their interpersonal challenges of coming together as a team. The second part of the story is that of the rise of Nazi Germany as Hitler uses the Olympic Games as another pedestal hoping to outshine the world.

To produce the film, Clooney and his production partner, Grant Heslov, will work alongside one another under their Smoke House Pictures banner with Spyglass to executive produce. After finally being given the green light to begin production on the film, an excited Clooney had to put The Boys in the Boat on hold upon receiving an offer to direct The Tender Bar. Following the wrap of the heartfelt picture that starred Ben Affleck and Tye Sheridan, Clooney’s schedule was cleared to begin moving forward with The Boys in the Boat.

With production slated to begin later this month, fans of the original novel as well as Clooney and the rest of the team behind the new film are bound to be excited. A true underdog story, The Boys in the Boat is sure to delight and pull on the heartstrings of viewers everywhere. With the main cast now announced, we can set our sights on other updates surrounding the beginning of production of the soon-to-be feature.

No release date has been set.

via Collider