The football movie Dallas Sting starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) was in the works to be produced by Skydance and Berlanti Schechter Productions. Nonetheless, “disturbing claims surrounding portions of the genuine tale on which the drama was based” have led to Skydance and the film’s producers deciding to terminate the project. The Hollywood Reporter states that the company received charges of wrongdoing about the film’s plot and decided to cancel production as a result.
McConaughey, who was slated to portray the starring part of the coach of a group of Dallas high school girls who went to China in 1984 to compete with some of the top women’s soccer teams in the world, has also withdrawn from the movie. Skydance has declined to comment on the aforementioned story, therefore details on the decision are now unavailable. The narrative Dallas Sting was about to tell was going to be an incredible one, one that would inspire people everywhere. It was planned that the film would depict the story of a group of high school girls from Dallas who, in 1984, was asked to participate in a women’s soccer competition.
In an effort to strengthen bilateral ties with the United States during Ronald Reagan’s administration, China extended an invitation to the team to visit the country. The United States gladly accepted the offer, but the absence of a national women’s soccer team presented an immediate obstacle. After a worldwide search, the Dallas crew was sent to China as huge underdogs and with little hope of winning. Coach Bill Kinder charged $85,000 on his credit cards for non-refundable airline tickets to get the squad to China, where they went on to perform admirably in the competition.
They defeated Australia, Japan, and China to reach the title game against Italy, where they would face more seasoned international teams known as The Sting. The latest turn of events, alas, effectively puts a stop to the telling of this uplifting narrative. The screenplay, adapted on a Kinder piece that was never published, was supposed to begin filming in October in New Orleans. It is stated that Skydance is dismayed that the tale will not be told, since it takes us back to a period when the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team was not as powerful a force as it is now, but nevertheless prevailed.