If you told TJ Herbert, producer of The Bromley Boys, that “his baby” of the better part of seven years would be having its world premiere at Wembley Stadium, what would he have said? “Come on.”
Yet last May, that’s what happened. Now, over a year later, The Bromley Boys is making waves across the pond as it gears up for an American theatrical release. It has been a labor of love for Herbert and the rest of the cast and crew for the film, but the hard work has already paid off with success in the UK. Now, the hope is that the United States are able to similarly resonate with the film.
The Bromley Boys follows young football fan Dave Roberts (played by Brenock O’Connor of Game of Thrones fame) as he supports Bromley FC, one of the worst clubs in the country. Dave Roberts is also the author of the book the film is based off of.
O’Connor got the role after a long and strenuous casting search, initially starting in the borough of Bromley itself. Herbert said they looked at around 1,000 young hopefuls before narrowing down their search to a few, then pursuing a more traditional casting search. Kate Plantin was in charge of the search and following O’Connor’s superb audition, he was immediately the choice. “I’m so proud and so privileged to get him when we did,” Herbert added of his lead.
The cast is bolstered with many, many, more superb actors. Jamie Foreman (Layer Cake), Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek, QI), Martine McCutcheon (Love Actually), and Ewen MacIntosh (The Office UK) are all just some of the actors alongside O’Connor in the film. Herbert also spoke highly of fellow child-actor Savannah Baker, playing the love interest across from O’Connor in the film.
For Herbert, this has been a long and exciting journey that is reaching its ultimate goal. Herbert said that at the end of the day, the goal was to secure distribution rights for an American theatrical release. And the timing could not be more perfect.
“There’s such a bright light being shone on soccer right now,” noted Herbert, with the U.S. Women’s National Team’s World Cup victory playing a massive role in this. With the non-league backdrop, there is also the note that the grassroots operations of non-league American sides also presents for a great climate to see the film in.
“This could be about any soccer team,” or any sports team in general, Herbert would state. That, in part, is some of what he thinks could make this film so appealing to an American audience. “It’s that feeling that a fan gets…you watch your beloved team…and thick or thin you stand by them.”
This is the sort of sports movie that is not just about the sport, or even the athletes, but rather the fans. Herbert himself loves the sport and notes that it is the first thing he did when growing up. But rather than the on-field product, it is about the off-pitch aspects that make soccer, or any other sport, so integral, “It’s more human, how sports can spill into your everyday life.”
The film itself has aspects of multiple genres, not simply those of sports. With humor and rom-com aspects aplenty, Herbert notes that one thing is consistent no matter the market of viewer, “It puts a smile on their face.”
The movie itself is an underdog, just like the team and characters portrayed on the screen. Going up against blockbuster films is no easy task when independently released. While the marketing of word of mouth may be an “old school way,” as Herbert said, to get the word out, it has helped The Bromley Boys out immensely in spreading awareness of the film.
The film in itself is all of these elements previously mentioned, but boiling down at its essence it is about growing up in England in a certain place and time. Whether through the music throughout the film, the costume design, and the general presentation as a whole, the grander scale of the film is a look into growing up and coming-of-age. Echoing previous comments about the ‘feel-good’ aspect of the movie, the cast and crew put plenty of that passion from inside them into their performances. Herbert said, “By the end of it you’ll feel warmed. Without sounding corny, there’s a lot of love put out on the screen.”
As Herbert stated, this was his ‘baby’ for seven years. He even has his own role as Roy Oliver, a sort of club historian who he said he knew he had to portray on the big screen following his reading of the book. His favorite moment on set, he said, was the wrap-day’s final scene playing with O’Connor. Now, though, with the movie already complete and having been seen by audiences all over the UK, among other markets, it is time for the U.S. to experience The Bromley Boys in theaters.
The Bromley Boys is set for a theatrical release in August for the United States. You can get more information about the film at its website, http://www.thebromleyboys.com/. You can also see the full cast and crew at IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2179231/?ref_=nm_knf_t1.
