EXCLUSIVE: The life of Ecuadorian soccer star and World Cup record-breaker Enner Valencia is set for the big screen treatment.

8th Gear Entertainment, the film production company founded by James Leon, has acquired the rights to Valencia’s life story and will produce a feature biopic about his story from poverty in South America to the biggest stage of the beautiful game.

Titled Enner, the pic will be shot in Ecuador, Miami, and Qatar in 2024. Leon, an Ecuadorian native, will produce the film with Ted Field and his Radar Pictures (Jumanji, Chronicles of Riddick franchises). Enner Valencia is executive producing alongside his manager Gonzalo Vargas.

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Valencia is the current captain and leading goal scorer for Ecuador’s national soccer team, with 38 international goals since his first appearance in 2012. Valencia made headlines at the last World Cup in Qatar when he netted against Holland, making him the first player to score six consecutive goals for any South American country. The 33-year-old striker currently plays his club football for Turkish Super League club Fenerbahce. He has 27 club goals in 27 games.

The biopic will touch on multiple facets of Valencia’s life, from childhood to his marriage and rejection from three professional soccer teams. Born in San Lorenzo, Ecuador, to a poverty-stricken family, Valencia grew up helping his father, who was a farmer, earn a living selling milk and first made his mark in the soccer world after joining the Caribe Junior youth system before signing with the Emelec Sporting Club in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Having nowhere to live, Valencia stayed in a room inside the soccer stadium and attended training sessions. While playing for Emilec, Valencia won the Ecuadorian Serie A and Copa Sudamericana Golden Boot in 2013. He went on to play for the Mexican football team Pachuca.

“We are very excited to bring Enner Valencia’s life story to the big screen – where underdog stories, particularly involving sports, have a history of leaving indelible marks on audiences,” Leon said. “Enner’s life is a story of triumph over adversity, and we are happy to work alongside him and Gonzalo to bring it to a worldwide audience through our movie.”

Valencia added: “I feel proud and privileged to have my life’s story and journey shared in a movie and looking forward to working with James and the 8th Gear Entertainment team on it. More than anything though, I’m hopeful the film inspires youth around the world. My message is that to fulfill one’s dreams, you have to work for it. Nothing is easy in life but at the same time, nothing is impossible. Everything can be achieved with hard work, and I am very excited and be an inspiration for new generations through this movie.”

In addition to Enner, 8th Gear’s slate includes the animated feature Lonesome George and the FIA ABB Formula E action-thriller Breakneck.

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