1/2/2024 0 Comments 76ers rosterThe kind of house we wanted to use was pretty close to the Wells Fargo Center, but truthfully all of South Philly has those cute, little rowhomes that are like the one we used. I grew up on South Street but we put Stanley deeper in South Philly, where a lot of my friends are from. So, what I was able to do was place the location of Stanley and his wife in the area that I grew up in in South Philadelphia. There were also intangibles that weren’t necessarily written into the script, like where Stanley Sugerman’s house would be, where he would shop for food, where his daughter would watch a midnight movie with friends in a graveyard, etc. It’s somewhat of an iconic local spot, yet it isn’t something you’ve seen in a movie before. Take the Manayunk Wall for example, an area that Philly-based cyclists cycle often and rigorously. It was Will who baked Philly into the story and there were some details that he just nailed. Zagar: I believe Will Fetters chose to set the film in Philadelphia as he’s from Philly and Delaware and is a Sixers fan too. What elements of Philly were already written into the screenplay by the time you read it and what did you feel you could expand on that made you the right guy for the job? A few days after Hustle premiered on Netflix, I caught up with Zagar by phone to discuss niche Philadelphia haunts, working with the current 76ers roster, finding new ways to film a basketball game, and more.įilmmaker: Given your Philadelphia upbringing, it makes sense that this film would have your name on it, but I read that when the screenplay was brought to your attention, its Philly connections were already established. With a score by composer Dan Deacon that increasingly ramps up the emotional release, Hustle is a familiar movie that satisfies.Ĭhosen by Adam Sandler and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos to direct the film after viewing his previous narrative feature, the 2018 Sundance-award winning We the Animals, Zagar is a native whose 2008 nonfiction feature, In a Dream, is about his father, the Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zagar. The film is less interested in reinventing the wheel then greasing it for further usage and, as the film progresses toward its dramatic climax, you may find yourself surprisingly invested in the outcome. J.” Julius Erving, after making a cameo as himself in Demme’s film, brings back his “character” for Zagar’s). Not since Jonathan Demme directed a film named after the City of Brotherly Love has there been a movie with as many local Philly sights and sports ephemera as Hustle (indeed, 76ers Hall of Famer “Dr. Regardless of whether or not Cruz getting drafted into the NBA is a foregone conclusion, Hustle is enjoyable for its plethora of cameos from real NBA players and executives and its inclusion of all things Philadelphian. Unfortunately, greedy team owners, spiteful American prospects (including Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, giving a “I’m going to take full advantage of acting in a Hollywood movie” performance) and shady events from his past threaten to derail Cruz’s success before it even takes off. Convincing this raw talent that he’s a star in the making, Sugerman brings Cruz to Philadelphia to prepare for the NBA Draft Combine. In Spain, Sugerman discovers an exciting new talent, Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez), dominating local competition on an outdoor court. Adam Sandler (continuing his Happy Madison Productions partnership with the streamer) is Stanley Sugerman, a jetlagged international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA Finals have just concluded, but the most popular film on Netflix remains Jeremiah Zagar’s basketball drama, Hustle.
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