The film will be released next year.
Noah Media Group and Paris-based producers Federation Entertainment are releasing a feature-length English-French documentary, Arsène Wenger: Invincible.
The production is co-directed by Noah’s Gabriel Clarke (Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager; Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans,) and sports journalist Christian Jeanpierre.
It focuses on Wenger’s ‘Invincible’ Arsenal side of 2003/4, who went an entire Premier League season unbeaten.
Wenger has provided “unprecedented insight and access,” says the programme makers. The documentary also includes interviews with some of the biggest names in world football.
The filming locations span the UK, France and Japan, and the film includes unseen archive.
The narration on the production is by Wenger, who said: “This documentary highlights a very special period in my life and career. I have total confidence in the team and the production companies. Gabriel and Christian are probably the only directors who could persuade me to do this documentary. I will try to give the best of my memories and my life story.”
Noah is behind acclaimed sports docs including Bobby Robson: More than a Manager (Netflix); The Edge (Amazon); Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (Official Cannes Selection, BBC). Federation’s credits include Varane: Destin de Champion (Amazon); and Les Bleus: At the heart of the Russian epic (TF1/Amazon).
Clarke said: “It is a privilege to work with Arsène Wenger and Christian Jeanpierre on this project. My friendship with Christian pre-dates even the Wenger era in North London and for some time it has been our ambition to combine on this project. As broadcasters we both covered Arsène’s stunning transformation of English football that peaked with Arsenal’s invincible team of 2004. This documentary will aim to do justice to an achievement that becomes more impressive with each passing season.”
Jeanpierre added: “I was lucky enough to follow an exceptional generation of players, led by a coach who achieved something that was not even imaginable. By making this documentary with Gabriel, I aim to make people live this fantastic period all over again.”
NoahX (Noah Media Group’s sales and distribution division) will be co-ordinating a theatrical and ‘transactional’ release in the UK in late 2021, as well as international sales, in partnership with Federation Entertainment.