George Clooney's 'The Boys in the Boat' Brings 1930s Olympic Rowing Tale to Life
The film, based on Daniel James Brown’s 2013 bestseller, tells the true story of nine University of Washington students who defied the odds to compete in the 1936 Olympics.
- George Clooney's new film, 'The Boys in the Boat', tells the true story of nine University of Washington students who joined the school's junior varsity crew team in the 1930s and made it to the 1936 Olympics held in Nazi-occupied Germany.
- The film is based on Daniel James Brown’s 2013 bestseller of the same name and is set to release on Christmas Day.
- The film's production designer, Kalina Ivanov, spent a great deal of time replicating the work of George Pocock, the premiere designer and fabricator of rowing shells for American universities throughout the 20th century.
- Much of the story is framed through the eyes of team member Joe Rantz, who worked his way up from an impoverished student abandoned by his father years before to an internationally recognized athlete.
- The film's production involved extensive research and efforts to recreate the 1930s era, including the construction of authentic rowing boats and the recreation of key locations.
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