Imagine Entertainment is "getting on in the slew of soccer-themed projects" spurred by the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, planning a feature film about legendary Brazilian footballer PELE, according to Anna Marie De La Fuente of VARIETY. The company has picked brothers JEFF and MICHAEL ZIMBALIST to "write the screenplay with the possibility of directing the pic" that will be shot in English with some Portuguese. The brothers "are not strangers to Latino-themed projects." In the past, they have worked individually or jointly on projects such as "Favela Rising" and "The Two Escobars." Imagine production President KIM ROTH said, "This will be more of a coming-of-age story that will trace Pele's childhood until he won his first World Cup in Sweden at the age of 17." In Brazil and the U.K., "other soccer-themed projects are brewing" such as London-based Spring Films' three-part TV series "The Beautiful Game." The series "will use the prism of soccer to explore the culture and people of Brazil." MIKE DOWNEY's London-based company F&ME is making a documentary titled "Streetkids United II." It will be the second series of documentaries about street kids and soccer (VARIETY, 8/7).
