RISE: The True Story of the Antetokounmpo Family’s Amazing Journey Will Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ Friday, June 24
Tonight, Disney held the world premiere of the Disney+ Original Movie “Rise,” at the Main Theater at Walt Disney Studios, and sponsored in part by Xbox, were the film’s subjects, executive producer Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mother, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, and his brothers Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Alex Antetokounmpo, along with “Rise” cast members Dayo Okeniyi (Charles), Yetide Badaki (Vera), Uche Agada (Giannis), Ral Agada (Thanasis), director Akin Omotoso, writer Arash Amel and producer Bernie Goldmann.
Audiences have never seen a story like that of the Antetokounmpos. After emigrating from Nigeria to Greece, Charles and Vera Antetokounmpo (Dayo Okeniyi and Yetide Badaki, respectively) struggled to survive and provide for their five children, while living under the daily threat of deportation. With their oldest son still in Nigeria with relatives, the couple were desperate to obtain Greek citizenship but found themselves undermined by a system that blocked them at every turn.
When they weren’t selling items to tourists on the streets of Athens with the rest of the family, the brothers– Giannis (Uche Agada) and Thanasis (Ral Agada)–would play basketball with a local youth team. Latecomers to the sport, they discovered their great abilities on the basketball court and worked hard to become world-class athletes, along with their brother, Kostas (Jaden Osimuwa).
With the help of an agent, Giannis entered the NBA Draft in 2013 as a long-shot prospect that would change not only his life but the life of his entire family. And last season, Giannis and Thanasis helped bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship ring in 50 years, while Kostas played for the previous season’s champs, the Los Angeles Lakers.
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Vanessa Morrison, President of Streaming at Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Alex Antetokounmpo, Alan Bergman, Chairman of Disney Studios Content, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Giannis Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Ral Agada and Uche Agada attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) McColm Cephas Jr., Ral Agada, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Elijah Sholanke, and Uche Agada attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Alex Saratsis, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo and Giannis Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo interacts with fans during the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Thanasis Antetokounmpo interacts with fans during the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Mobolaji Dawodu, Bernie Goldmann, Akin Omotoso, Ral Agada, Yetide Badaki, Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Uche Agada, Dayo Okeniyi and Arash Amel attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Arash Amel, Akin Omotoso, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Ral Agada, McColm Cephas Jr., Jahleel Kamara, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Uche Agada, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Yetide Badaki, Dayo Okeniyi, Alex Antetokounmpo, Bernie Goldmann, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Chinua Baraka Payne and Manish Dayal attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mariah Riddlesprigger, and family attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Ral Agada (L) and Uche Agada (R) attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Ral Agada and Uche Agada attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bernie Goldmann and Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, McColm Cephas Jr., Alex Antetokounmpo, Jahleel Kamara, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Chinua Baraka Payne attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Arash Amel, Akin Omotoso, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Ral Agada, McColm Cephas Jr., Jahleel Kamara, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Uche Agada, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Yetide Badaki, Dayo Okeniyi, Alex Antetokounmpo, Bernie Goldmann, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Chinua Baraka Payne and Manish Dayal attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Yetide Badaki, Jahleel Kamara, Elijah Sholanke, Aaron Kingsley Adetola and Dayo Okeniyi attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Giannis Antetokounmpo with family attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
“Rise” stars Dayo Okeniyi, Yetide Badaki, Manish Dayal, and Taylor Nichols, introducing Ral Agada, and introducing Uche Agada. The film was directed by Akin Omotoso (“Vaya”), written by Arash Amel (“A Private War”), and produced by Bernie Goldmann (“300”). Giannis Antetokounmpo and Douglas S. Jones served as the executive producers.
‘RISE’ premieres this Friday, June 24 on Disney Plus.
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