The trailer for the much-anticipated documentary on England’s Test captain Ben Stokes dropped online on Thursday, with the film set to release next month. Titled Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes, the documentary covers everything from Stokes’ on-field heroics to his off-field controversies.
Going by the 2:44 minutes trailer, the documentary seems to be a gripping affair, where Stokes narrates everything from the Headingley heroics to his mental health struggles.
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To weave a compelling narrative, Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes, takes help from Stokes’ colleagues at England Cricket, his on-field action, and archival footage, notably the infamous pub brawl in Bristol. Stokes is seen throwing punches outside the nightclub which led to his suspension from the English side.
Mendes, whose prominent work includes American Beauty and Spectre, said that he was convinced within ten seconds for this job. “When they asked me to be involved in this excellent documentary, it took me about 10 seconds to say yes. I was always a fan of Ben as a cricketer – how can you not be, if you are a lover of sport at the highest level – but now my admiration extends well beyond the boundaries of cricket,” said Mendes, who is a hardcore cricket fan, and has earlier named characters of his movie 1917 after Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.
Joe Root, Neil Fairbrother, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, and the late Shane Warne also feature in the documentary. There’s a special focus on Stokes’ mental health struggles, owing to which he took an indefinite break from cricket a couple of years ago.
On being asked about the experience of working with Mendes, Stokes said, “I still think it’s crazy sat here that there’s a documentary being done about me. And then on top of that having Sam [Mendes] come and do the interviews. The whole thing is a crazy experience still for me to think about.”
Stokes retired from ODIs last month to manage his workload. He will continue to lead the side in Test, in which he is still undefeated after playing four matches.
Featured Image Credit: Ben Stokes
