A television series inspired by Bill Shankly‘s legendary reign at Liverpool is in the works, with the multi-episode drama to the club’s rise in the 1960s.
Shankly served Liverpool Football Club for 15 years between 1959 and 1974, taking the Reds out of the Second Division and propelling the club into contention on the European stage.
The Scot embodied all that Liverpool and its supporters stand for, and now award-winning studio A24 are turning his story into a multi-episode TV series in association with Box to Box.
Box to Box, the sports content studio, is behind the increasingly popular Netflix series ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’, while A24 is known for its originality and style that opposes major film studios.
The series will be filmed in Liverpool and Anfield, supported by the club and Shankly’s granddaughter Karen Gill, who will help ensure historical accuracy in the retelling of this significant story.
It will be set in the 1960s and explore a hugely pivotal era in the club’s history, charting Liverpool’s rise while also shining a light on the city and its unique local music scene.
Shankly won the top-flight title three times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Cup once, leaving an indelible legacy that is certainly worth immortalising further on television screens.
He laid the foundations of success for the likes of Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan to immediately follow and for all of what came next as Liverpool established themselves as a global powerhouse.
Jack Thorne, award-winning screenwriter and playwright, whose work includes ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ and ‘His Dark Materials’, is attached to write the series.
On the project, Thorne said, via Variety: “I’m excited to be telling this incredible story and it’s an honour to be working alongside A24 and Liverpool Football Club.
“Our goal is to focus not just on the club, but on the city itself—because, and this is one thing Bill Shankly made sure, the club belongs to the city and the city belongs to the club.
“We have a chance with this show to celebrate both a magnificent football club and a magnificent city, whilst being honest about the struggles of the 1960s and 1970s in one of our industrial heartlands.
“We hope to honour the fans, to the city, and the legacy of Liverpool FC in bringing its story to life.”
There is currently no published timeline for the project, but the award-winning studios involved lend themselves to plenty of excitement for the finished product.
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