The United Way: Sky Documentaries orders Manchester United documentary
David Farnor | On 11, Apr 2021
Sky is kicking off an in-depth look at the footballing world of Manchester United in new documentary The United Way.
The one-off feature film is the story of a football club, a city and a man who did “more than most to bring success to both”, told by and co-written by Eric Cantona.
The film shares the player’s unique insights into this iconic club with a fresh perspective on the “United Way”, taking audiences on a compelling ride through the history and evolution of the world’s biggest football club, and the social and cultural environment that shaped it.
Through exclusive interviews and archive footage, viewers will hear from a galaxy of United stars and stalwarts, such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Bryan Robson, Brian Kidd, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Butt, Peter Schmeichel, the late Tommy Docherty and more. Weaving Eric’s story with that of the club, it is set against a background of four dynamic decades of change on and off the pitch. Lords Heseltine and Kinnock add socio-political context. Musicians Peter Hook and Shaun Ryder recall the ground-breaking sounds and styles, which, along with the football club, helped make Manchester a pioneering cultural capital.
The Sky Original documentary has been commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Jaime Morris, Director of Programme Strategy and negotiated and executive produced by Jack Oliver, Head of Co-Productions, Sky Entertainment. The film is directed by Mat Hodgson and produced by Matthew Lorenzo, Daniel Glynn, Andrew Baker and Patrick Nathanson.
It follows another documentary exploring Manchester United from a personal angle with Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In arriving in UK cinemas on 27th May (coronavirus pandemic allowing) and streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 29th May. The United Way will air on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW on 24th May.