First things first — does anyone else find it weird that this is the fourth horse movie currently in production? We announced Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” giggled over the C-list “And They’re Off,” snoozed over “The Secretariat,” and to round it all out, we have the subject of this article, “The Cup.” Well, at least jockeys will finally have a reason to go to the movies again.
Brendan Gleeson is set to play legendary trainer Dermot Weld, one of Ireland’s most successful horse trainers, and the only international trainer to have won the Melbourne Cup in 1993 and 2002. The film will follow Weld stable rider Damien Oliver, played by Stephen Curry, who jockeyed the winning horse Media Puzzle in the 2002 Melbourne Cup. Collider provides a short synopsis (it goes on much longer, but basically spoils the entire movie) of the movie: “a gripping true story about brotherly love and the struggle to succeed. Jockey Damien Oliver rose up against the odds to win one of the most prestigious horse races in the world, the Australian Melbourne Cup.”
Simon Wincer will direct, the man behind “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” “Operation Dumbodrop,” and “Free Willy.” But don’t fret! The man has worked with more than just crocodiles, elephants and whales. His horse experience comes from his time working on “The Young Black Stallion,” so this ain’t no amateur. Wincer also co-wrote the screenplay with the original writer of the book, Eric O’Keefe. But don’t let the poster fool you — the film’s still got quite a wait before it runs out onto the tracks. It will start shooting this summer, so don’t expect it until very late 2010 or 2011. You know what they say, ‘the journey to the finish line is the greatest adventure of all.’ The horse craze has only just begun.