Athletes from every major international sport will discuss the toll that the Coronavirus has taken on the sports world in the upcoming documentary titled The Day That Sports Stood Still. Antoine Fuqua is set to direct, with Imagine Documentaries producing the feature. Filming is said to already be underway.
The idea for the documentary was born out of a conversation between Oklahoma City Thunder player Chris Paul, and president of the NBA players union Brian Grazer, Variety reports. Paul and Grazer were discussing the March 10 OKC vs. Utah Jazz game that was postponed just before tip-off, and the “domino-effect” of events that followed. Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus after making light of it during a press conference just days prior. When a second jazz player, Donovan Mitchell, also tested positive, the NBA suspended its season indefinitely. All NCAA sports quickly followed suit.
“Sports never stops. If you look back throughout history, the games always persisted through natural disasters, wars, and acts of terror. They were always there for us to escape and feel normal during the most stressful and emotional of times,” the doc’s synopsis reads. Paul will lead the cast of all-star athletes, who will give testimonials of how the virus has affected them, their team, and their fans. Shooting will also roll continuously in hopes to capture the lives of the players in real-time up until they make the “powerful and emotional returns to their stadiums, showing how sports can unite and inspire us when we need it most.”
