Year of drama culminates in Man City: The Movie
Reuters - Friday 10 September 2010, 00:29
MANCHESTER - For most clubs an
end-of-season DVD charting the highs and lows would be enough.
Manchester City are not most clubs, though, and have splashed
out on the full cinema release with gala premiere.
Coach Roberto Mancini, in a suit rather than the blue and
white striped scarf that became his trademark last season, was
among the City staff and celebrities walking along the 'blue
carpet' on Thursday for the opening of Blue Moon Rising.
The documentary-style film follows five obsessive fans
during last season, City's first full season after the takeover
that made it the world's richest club. It also features
interviews with players, Mancini and City-mad musician Noel
Gallagher.
Echoing their lavish transfer and salary policy, City did
not fancy saving cash with a straight-to-DVD production.
"City's ambitions are huge," Nick London, one of the
producers, told Reuters while a couple of big screens showed
trailers of the film to the fans waiting outside the central
Manchester cinema.
"The club has been transformed over the last few years and
they thought they wanted to make a movie to begin with. And, as
a producer, I can only applaud that.
"Eventually it will end up on DVD but the intention is
initially that it gets a theatrical release in Manchester and
elsewhere, goes on to DVD and maybe goes on to TV later on."
The hope after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan took over
in September 2008 turns into pain at missing out on a Champions
League spot by finishing fifth in the Premier League in
2009/10.
There is also the bitter disappointment of the last-gasp
goal that sent City out of the League Cup semi-finals at the
hands of local rivals Manchester United.
Some players think the film may be just the start of the
excitement for the club which is looking for a first English
league title since 1968 and which has spent around 300 million
pounds on new players since the takeover.
"Hopefully it'll be more drama, maybe with winning a
competition or getting even higher in the league," said winger
Adam Johnson.
"I haven't got a clue what I'd call the sequel."
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