60 articles
12 Mighty Orphans
12 Mighty Orphans, 2021 American sports drama directed by Ty Roberts, based on Jim Dent's book about the Mighty Mites football team of the Fort Worth Masonic Home, starring Luke Wilson as coach Rusty Russell; released by Sony Pictures Classics, grossed $3.7 million.
127 Hours
127 Hours (2010) is Danny Boyle's survival drama starring James Franco as Aron Ralston, based on his memoir Between a Rock and a Hard Place; six Oscar nominations, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
42 (film)
42 (2013) is Brian Helgeland's Jackie Robinson biopic, starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, covering Robinson's 1946–47 breaking of baseball's color barrier; it grossed about $95 million.
8 Seconds
8 Seconds is a 1994 American biographical drama directed by John G. Avildsen that chronicles the life of bull riding champion Lane Frost, starring Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin, and Cynthia Geary.
Ali (film)
Ali (2001) is Michael Mann's biographical drama starring Will Smith as Muhammad Ali, covering 1964-1974 from the Liston title win to the Rumble in the Jungle; it earned two Oscar nominations and a Metascore of 65.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (भाग मिल्खा भाग)
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (भाग मिल्खा भाग), 2013 Hindi biographical sports drama by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra starring Farhan Akhtar as sprinter Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh; National Award and six Filmfare winner, re-released 2023.
Bleed for This
Bleed for This is a 2016 biographical boxing drama directed by Ben Younger, starring Miles Teller as Vinny Pazienza and Aaron Eckhart as Kevin Rooney, dramatizing Pazienza's comeback from a 1991 broken neck.
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week docudrama, directed by Buzz Kulik and written by William Blinn from Gale Sayers's book I Am Third, about Bears teammates Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan), who died of cancer in 1970; it won five Emmys, a Peabody, and a DGA Award, and was remade on ABC in 2001.
Chasing Mavericks
Chasing Mavericks (2012) is a biographical drama, also known by its tagline Legends Start Somewhere, about surfer Jay Moriarity training with mentor Frosty Hesson to ride the Mavericks big-wave break; directed by Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted, it grossed $6.0M and scored 32% with critics.
Chuck (film)
Chuck (2016), originally titled The Bleeder, is Philippe Falardeau's biographical drama starring Liev Schreiber as boxer Chuck Wepner, whose 1975 fight with Muhammad Ali inspired Rocky.
Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man (2005) is Ron Howard's biographical boxing drama starring Russell Crowe as Depression-era heavyweight champion James J. Braddock, with Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, and Craig Bierko as Max Baer; it dramatizes Braddock's 1935 title upset and drew criticism for vilifying Baer.
Cobb (film)
Cobb (1994) is Ron Shelton's biographical drama starring Tommy Lee Jones as Ty Cobb and Robert Wuhl as sportswriter Al Stump, based on Stump's biography, filmed at Rickwood Field, a box office failure with mixed reviews.
Critical Thinking (film)
Critical Thinking is a 2020 American biographical drama, John Leguizamo's directorial debut, written by Dito Montiel, about the 1998 Miami Jackson High School chess team, the first inner-city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship; released September 4, 2020 by Vertical Entertainment.
Father Stu
Father Stu is a 2022 American biographical drama directed by Rosalind Ross, starring Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long, a Montana boxer who became a Catholic priest.
Fear Strikes Out
Fear Strikes Out (1957) is a Paramount biographical drama, the directorial debut of Robert Mulligan and producing debut of Alan J. Pakula, adapted from Jimmy Piersall's 1955 autobiography about his mental breakdown, starring Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden.
Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher (2014) is Bennett Miller's true-crime drama starring Steve Carell as heir John du Pont and Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as wrestlers Mark and Dave Schultz; Cannes Best Director, five Oscar nominations.
Gentleman Jim
Gentleman Jim (1942) is a Raoul Walsh Warner Bros. biopic starring Errol Flynn as boxer James J. Corbett, adapted from The Roar of the Crowd, depicting his 1892 Queensberry-rules title win over John L. Sullivan.
Greater (film)
Greater is a 2016 American biographical sports drama about Brandon Burlsworth, the Arkansas walk-on who became an All-American and died days after being drafted by the NFL.
Hands of Stone
Hands of Stone, Spanish Manos de piedra, is a 2016 biographical drama by Jonathan Jakubowicz about Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán, starring Edgar Ramírez and Robert De Niro.
I, Tonya
I, Tonya is a 2017 biographical dark comedy directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie as skater Tonya Harding and Allison Janney, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress; it dramatizes the 1994 Kerrigan attack through unreliable mockumentary narration.
Invictus (film)
Invictus (2009) is Clint Eastwood's sports drama starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, based on John Carlin's Playing the Enemy, about the 1995 Rugby World Cup; two Oscar nominations, 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Invincible (2006 film)
Invincible (2006) is a Disney sports drama directed by Ericson Core, starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, the 30-year-old bartender who made the Philadelphia Eagles in a 1976 open tryout; notable for omitting his World Football League career.
King Richard (film)
King Richard (2021) is a biographical drama directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, written by Zach Baylin, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena; six Oscar nominations, Smith won Best Actor.
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical sports drama directed by Neeraj Pandey, with Sushant Singh Rajput starring as cricketer M.S. Dhoni.
Mary Kom (film)
Mary Kom (मैरी कॉम), 2014 Hindi biographical sports drama, Omung Kumar's directorial debut, produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Priyanka Chopra as boxer MC Mary Kom; released 5 September 2014, earned ₹8.5 crore on opening day and won a National Award.
McFarland, USA
McFarland, USA is a 2015 American sports drama directed by Niki Caro, starring Kevin Costner as a coach who builds a champion cross country team of farmworkers' sons.
Moneyball (film)
Moneyball is a 2011 American biographical sports drama directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt as Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, adapted from Michael Lewis's 2003 book.
Mr. Irrelevant: The John Tuggle Story
Mr. Irrelevant: The John Tuggle Story is a 2026 Paramount/Skydance biographical drama about John Tuggle, the 335th and final pick of the 1983 NFL Draft who made the Giants roster, earned special teams honors, and died of cancer in 1986 at age 25; directed by Jonathan Levine, starring David Corenswet, releasing December 25, 2026.
My All American
My All American is a 2015 American biographical sports drama written and directed by Angelo Pizzo, starring Finn Wittrock as Texas safety Freddie Steinmark and Aaron Eckhart as coach Darrell Royal.
Paan Singh Tomar (पान सिंह तोमर) (film)
Paan Singh Tomar (पान सिंह तोमर) is Tigmanshu Dhulia's 2012 Hindi biographical film starring Irrfan Khan as the seven-time national steeplechase champion who became a Chambal Valley rebel; it won Best Feature Film and Best Actor at the 60th National Film Awards.