Fremantle closes global sales for "On The Line: The Richard Williams Story"

Fremantle has secured a series of international sales for the feature documentary "On the Line: The Richard Williams Story." The title is scheduled to launch on Sky in the UK and Italy, CANAL+ in France, MNET in South Africa, Paramount+ in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand.“We are delighted to team up with our esteemed broadcaster partners to share the remarkable story of Richard Williams, in his own words," Jens Richter, CEO of Commercial & International, Fremantle said. 

The deals for "On the Line: The Richard Williams Story" follow the title's UK premier at Sheffield Docfest. The film is directed by Stuart McClave, produced by ChaVam’s Chavoita LeSane, High Frequency Entertainment’s Duncan Montgomery and Jack Selby, Foundation 360’s Gary Ousdahl, and Stuart McClave’s McClave Lumber Company, with Brenda Robinson, Brit Marling, Ashley Coleman, Charlie McDowell, Alex Orlovsky, Mathilde Jourdan, Harry Gamsu, and Bright West Entertainment’s Alex Lieberman and Gary Lieberman serving as executive producers. With Fremantle taking on all distribution tasks, the deal was negotiated by Travis Tammero of UTA and Holly Stanton and Joe Cohen of CAA.

The documentary follows the life, career, and lasting impact of Richard Williams, the family patriarch and tennis coach to Venus and Serena Williams. Mr. Williams provides rare home video footage and interviews to detail the family’s unprecedented gate-crashing in the 1990s and beyond of a predominately white, upper-class sport. The title will also break down the newly discovered archival footage from the courts in Compton and a roster of interview subjects including Billie Jean King and Pam Shriver to retrace the Williams sisters’ meteoric ascent through the tennis rankings in spite of racial oppression and unconscious bias.

The story is said to highlight the African American experience in America and the determination of one family to prove the sceptics wrong to accomplish what was deemed impossible, even if they had to break every rule or custom along the way to do so."Mr Williams granted Stuart McClave and his team unparalleled access and insight to allow them to create an unmissable documentary that will leave audiences across the globe feeling truly inspired,"