Adidas founder Adi Dassler is getting the Hollywood treatment with a new limited series in development from independent film producer Niels Juul (“Ferrari,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Silence,” “The Irishman”) and AD Legacy, the company founded by his grandchildren.
The project — which will be told from the perspective of Dassler’s oldest daughter Inge and produced by Juul’s company No Fat Ego — will focus on Dassler’s life and the iconic sports and fashion brand he created from his small German village. It will also capture the intense family drama and rivalry between Dassler and his brother Rudolf, who created Puma.
Juul described the limited series as a “creative intersection” between “The Crown” and “Succession.”
“I am a big fan of real-life stories, and as much as I liked Enzo Ferrari’s tale, I was immediately drawn to the story of Adi. It’s a great dramatic, intense and brutal tale but also at times hilariously funny with the rivalry between the two brothers,” Juul said in a statement. “What truly attracts me to the story is how one visionary man and sports idealist completely defied convention at the time. From making shoes for gold medalist Jesse Owens against the will of Hitler in the 1936 Berlin Olympics to supporting Katrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967 even when she — as a woman — was not permitted, or developing the first female tennis shoe for Billie Jean King as she was fighting for equal rights for women in sports.”
Juul added that he sees a “great opportunity to tell not only a breathtaking family and brand saga, but also shine an intimate and personal light on some of the most iconic and memorable events in sports history.”
Dassler’s grandson and AD Legacy founder and CEO Horste Bente expressed the family’s excitement to partner with Juul and his team.
“Niels’ European roots, his expertise, and most importantly his vision of how to tell our family’s multi-decade story makes him a perfect partner for us,” Bente said. “We are very much looking forward to being involved in all aspects of this project and support it fully. We are grateful also for the support of adidas as it is our common desire to share this incredible piece of sports history.”
Over the coming months, No Fat Ego’s associate producers in the US, UK and Germany will work with historians at Adidas and the AD Legacy team to research and shape the narrative of the likely 12-episode limited series.
