“I was excited about telling a story that would make people feel really good”: Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton and Grant Heslov on The Boys in the Boat

This dynamic biographical drama, The Boys in the Boat, is a true story of determination and friendship adapted from the book of the same name written in 2013 by novelist Daniel James Brown and brought to screen by producer Grant Heslov with George Clooney directing.

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War and the height of the Great Depression, the tale describes the journey of Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) who had an impoverished childhood with parents who abandoned him. After enrolling on a degree programme at Washington University, he joins the college rowing team as a chance to help fund his studies. Under the watchful eye of Coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton), the aspiring rowers train for their place at the Olympics held in Berlin in 1936, competing for the gold medal.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of hearing from cast members Turner and Edgerton on why they wanted to come on board with the script, how they approached their individual roles and the lengthy filming process they all had to go through in order to make the story believable.

We also spoke to Heslov about what drew him to want to tell this incredibly inspiring journey of sportsmanship, working alongside Clooney again, the difficult casting process and work they had to do on the river to train all the rowers.

Ezelle Alblas

The Boys in the Boat is released nationwide on 12^th January 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Boys in the Boat here: