Uzo Aduba, Andrew Bachelor & More Join Stephan James and J.K. Simmons In STX Sports Drama ‘National Champions’

Deadline is reporting that Eros STX’s Stephan James and J.K. Simmons sports drama National Champions is expanding its team roster with Uzo Aduba, Alexander Ludwig, Andrew Bachelor, David Koechner, Tim Blake Nelson, and Timothy Olyphant.

Based on Adam Mervis’ play of the same name which he’s also adapting, National Champions explores the big business of college sports and tells the story of a star quarterback (James) ignites a player’s strike 72 hours before the biggest game of the year to fight for fair compensation, equality, and respect for the athletes who put their bodies and health on the line for their schools.

Aduba will play Katherine, the outside counsel to the NCAA in the Ric Roman Waugh-directed feature. Ludwig will play Emmett, a tight end who joins forces with James’ character as they fight for fair compensation of college athletes just days before the biggest game of the year. Bachelor will play Taylor, one of the college football team’s boosters. Koechner will play Everly, one of the conference heads. Nelson will play Rodger, the wild, funny car dealer who is the head of the team’s booster club. Olyphant will play Elliott, a hipster professor at the college.

Pic, which is rolling cameras this month in New Orleans, is produced by Basil Iwanyk and Brendon Boyea of Thunder Road and Greg Economou of game1. Jonathan Fuhrman of Thunder Road, Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor of Bondit Media Capital, Christian Mercuri of The Capstone Group, Michael Smith, and Mervis are executive producers.

National Champions is fully financed by BondIt Media Capital and The Capstone Group. CAA Media Finance Group and Range Media Partners brokered the deal.