‘There are hard-hitting moments but in the end I want it to give people hope and joy’ says Palace hero as the story of his growing up in south London is to be made into a biopic
Two of Croydon’s modern heroes, a musician and a sportsman, are teaming up to make a biopic which promises to be a blockbuster movie.
Double header: grime musician Stormzy (right) is co-producing the biopic of Palace hero Ian Wright
Rapper Stormzy’s production company Merky Films is to turn the life story of former Palace striker Ian Wright into a film.
South London-born Wright went on to be one of Arsenal’s all-time top goal-scorers, play for England, become a regular Match of the Day pundit, and one of the country’s most recognisable and admired television hosts. Last year, he was named as Britain’s second-most influential black person in the 2026 Powerlist (after finance exec Afua Kyei).
But Wright’s early years were often a struggle, and he has spoken about his difficult childhood and rejections from multiple clubs as a teenager. The film, which will have Stormzy as executive producer, will be the “first time we’re bringing it all together”, Wright said.
Stormzy said it is an “honour” to co-produce the film, helping to “bring such an important and powerful story to the screen”.
Wright, 62, has retained strong links to Purley and South Croydon, where he has had homes, and where one of his sons, Stacey Wright, was a pupil at Whitgift School.
Wright’s life story includes “a childhood of trauma, an inspiring teacher and a sibling who always looked out for him”, the filmmakers said in their blurb yesterday.
They describe the film as “the story of a black British boy born to first-generation Caribbean immigrants against a backdrop of a working-class south London community, as relevant today as it was in the ‘70s”.
Wright was a key member of Steve Coppell’s Palace side which won promotion to the top flight in 1989, and the following season the striker came off the bench in the 1990 FA Cup final to score twice in a 3-3 draw with then-mighty Manchester United, forcing a replay.
Player of the century: Ian Wright has been a people’s hero on the football pitch and on TV
In the 1990-1991 season, Wright took his Palace goal tally past 100, as the Eagles soared to third place in the First Division. In 1999, Wright was voted by Eagles fans as the Palace Player of the Century.
Retiring from football in 2000, Wright has become an acclaimed broadcaster, and won the Broadcast Sport Awards’ coveted Pundit Of The Year award in 2022.
The biopic script has been written by Tom Wilton (Muscle, Bump, A Love Letter to M), who will also direct the film.
Wilton said: “It has been a privilege working closely with Wrighty to capture his story, not least because we both spent our formative years on the same estate.
“I recognised the power of a dream, and just how difficult it is to keep going when the world refuses to see you. For a man so well-known, there is still so much for people to discover, including what it took for him to never give up. I made a promise to tell the history like it was – raw and real.
“Now, I can’t wait for people to truly experience Ian Wright’s incredible journey.”
The film-makers include Academy Award-nominated producer, Sara McFarlane (A Love Letter to M, Red White and Blue, Love Brooklyn). “Tom’s script is a poignant reminder that no matter who you are or where you come from, you belong, that hard work actually does always pay off, and that persistence is key,” McFarlane said .
“At its core, this is a story about an underdog with a gold tooth from south London that made history on and off the field despite all obstacles faced.”
And Ian Wright said, “Telling my story in full for the first time feels surreal and, in some ways, a long time coming. There are parts of my life that will be familiar because they’ve been talked about over the years, but this film is the first time we’re bringing it all together.
“Retelling my story to Tom has also made me realise how much Britain has changed from my parents arriving here on the Windrush, what that meant for me and my brothers, and the experiences that will never leave me.
“I hope it shows how complicated life can be for a young person and the influence people around you can have – good and bad. My story is one that truly shows how the company you keep can break you down and build you up. There are hard-hitting moments but in the end I want it to give people hope and joy.”
Big Man: Michael Omari’s first starring movie role, out on YouTube next month
Grime artist Stormzy is increasingly diversifying from working in music, with involvement in university scholarship schemes, football projects in Croydon, and now the films venture, which includes the release next month of Big Man, a film which stars Michael Omari, or Stormzy by the name he was known as when growing up in South Norwood.
He is clearly delighted to be involved in the Ian Wright film. The owner of Croydon Athletic said, “Wrighty’s journey goes far beyond football – it’s about resilience, family and believing in yourself against the odds.
“He’s inspired generations on and off the pitch and we’re so proud to help bring such an important and powerful story to the screen.”
The former England striker has previously spoken about how his stepfather was abusive to him when he was young.
Sydney Pigden, the school teacher Wright has called “the greatest man in the world”, is also set to be a major character in the film. He helped the future football star to read and write, and also encouraged the youngster to “believe in who he could be”.
According to the film’s announcement, the biopic follows him up to the moment when his “raw talent” finally gets him noticed by a professional football club (meaning Palace), and he has to decide whether to “take a shot at the big time”.
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