Channing Tatum’s Free Association, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Entertainment 360, Jason Keller and Box To Box Films have announced that they are teaming up with Mediawan, one of the leading independent European studios, to create a docuseries about the Isle of Man TT Races that is expected to air in 2025 as well as a feature film.
Production on the docuseries entitled The Greatest Race On Earth has now commenced and Box To Box Films, the multi-award-winning team behind the international phenomenon, Drive To Survive, will produce the series alongside Channing Tatum’s Free Association and Brad Pitt’s Plan B.
For the TT it means joining a hugely impressive list of leading sports docuseries including Full Swing (PGA), Break Point (ATP & WTA), Tour De France: Unchained, and Six Nations: Full Contact – all made by Box To Box Films for Netflix.
For James Gay-Rees, co-founder of Box To Box Films and producer on feature films such as Senna and Diego Maradona, it means the opportunity to tell one of the most unique stories in sport today, as well as the ability to share that story with a much wider audience.
"It’s a great privilege to be working with these partners on this extremely unique project. The Isle of Man TT is one of the most visceral, exhilarating and unusual events in the motorsport diary. We can’t wait to bring this incredible world to new audiences.”
Free Association principals, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan, are equally enthusiastic about the project; having travelled to the island to witness first-hand last year’s incredible record-breaking races. The Magic Mike actor and his fellow principals not only spent time with a number of teams and riders, but were also spotted out around the 37+ mile course, meeting fans and gaining further insight into what makes the TT such a standout story.
“We dare anyone to find more awe-inspiring people, or a more breathtakingly vibrant world than the Isle of Man TT Races. We’ve always been drawn to characters who push the edge of what’s possible, and this race is their Shangri-La. We’re deeply honoured to be part of the creative dream team telling the story of this legendary event, and can’t wait to share it with audiences all across the globe.”
Plan B were drawn to the TT for similar reasons and complete the aforementioned ‘dream team’. Co-founded in 2001 by Hollywood superstar, Brad Pitt, Plan B have since brought us a number of hugely successful and often important films, such as 12 Years a Slave, Selma and Moonlight.
That’s been one of the main drivers behind the runaway success of the sports docuseries: placing the people at the forefront of the story. And that’s something that Box To Box Films do better than anyone. In a short space of time, they have successfully challenged the norms of the traditional documentary format. So much so, that the sports documentaries are the new binge-watch genre, with one in five fans admitting they are now 'go-to' Saturday night viewing.
There is no greater example than Drive to Survive, which has been credited with finally opening up the American market for Formula 1, and has been described by McLaren team principal, Zak Brown, as the most important development the sport has seen in recent years. It’s no wonder then that Box To Box Films remain the pre-eminent sports documentary producer, and the benchmark for premium documentaries.
There’s more to come too, as the group is currently developing a screenplay for a major feature film package to take to market later this year. Producers for the film include Free Association, Plan B, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Jason Keller and with Box to Box executive producing.
Roll on 2025 and The Greatest Race On Earth.