“Shadowplayers” Taps Soccer Icon RONALDINHO as EP of New Sports Drama Series

From Executive Producer and legendary soccer player Ronaldinho and Emmy Award-nominated Executive Producer Jeffrey Elmont, comes the new sports drama series “Shadowplayers.” The eight-episode series, currently under development, will begin streaming internationally this Fall 2019 on the newly launched, millennial-focused Zeus Network.

The dark, edge-of-your-seat drama series, “Shadowplayers,” explores the narrative of how some of the most talented people in the world fall through the cracks of society, and keep falling. The series follows ‘Sony Kamara’ (newcomer Chris Lopez) a teenage soccer phenomenon of Mexican and African-American decent, whose life took a sudden turn and ultimately led him to a career of working at a Los Angeles supermarket. With his radiant past fading into a glittering mirage on a descending horizon, Kamara is drawn to the dark underworld of street soccer where players are known as ‘shadowplayers.’ Within these brutally twisted underground matches inclusive of all ages and genders, the player who leaves the field at the end of the game is not the winner, but the survivor.

The series takes inspiration from real-life street soccer legends. In addition to being twice elected the FIFA World Player of the Year and playing an important role in Brazil winning the 2002 World Cup, globally recognized soccer icon Ronaldinho created the Globe Street Team. The team bans together legendary street soccer players to travel the world and promote street soccer. Dutch street soccer player Edward van Gils, a member of the Globe Street Team, was recruited by Ronaldinho and Elmont to choreographer all of the games and battles portrayed throughout the to “Shadowplayers” series.

Elmont, a Dutch filmmaker, previously paired with Fire Starter Studios to create the short documentary series “National Endowment For The Arts: United States of the Arts,” which received a 2016 Emmy Award and 2017 Producers Guild of America nomination. Elmont was additionally selected for the American Film Institute in Los Angeles (AFI) with his first short film “League of Legends,” produced by San Fu Maltha and featuring Edward van Gils.