Disney has released a trailer for Young Woman And The Sea, starring Daisy Ridley as a champion swimmer who becomes the first woman to cross the English Channel.
Young Woman and the Sea is based on the real-life story of Gertrude Ederle, or Trudy as she is called in the film. The American swimmer won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games as part of the 4×100 metre freestyle relay team. In 1926, she embarks upon her record-breaking swim.
In the trailer, a radio host calls the 21-mile distance of the English Channel “the hardest test in all of sport.”
The film is directed by Joachim Rønning and written by Jeff Nathanson. It adapts the 2009 book of the same name written by Glenn Stout. Originally set to be released on Disney+, the film will now have a theatrical release.
The trailer reveals that the freezing cold water, changing currents, and swarms of jellyfish are not Ederle's only challenges. At the time, many men expressed doubt about the Olympian's skills, believing that, as a woman, Ederle was too weak to overcome the dangers of the challenge. Only five men had previously completed the swim.
Alongside Ridley, who is also an executive producer for the film, Young Woman And The Sea stars Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, and Kim Bodnia. Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler also feature in supporting roles.
Young Woman and the Sea follows Netfilx's release of Nyad (2023), another biographical sports drama focused on swimming. In Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's narrative feature debut, Annette Bening plays Diana Nyad as she attempts to swim the Straits of Florida. Nyad was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress at the 96th Academy Awards.
Young Woman and the Sea is released in cinemas worldwide on 31st May 2024.
