‘Rez Ball’ Trailer Released by Netflix Ahead of September Premiere

Rez Ball, a new sports drama, is coming to Netflix in September. The movie, co-written by Sterlin Harjo & Sydney Freeland and directed by Freeland, will first make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by LeBron James, Rez Ball takes place in the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, where the Chuska Warriors, rich in Native American heritage, lose their star player, Nataani Jackson.

The high school basketball team “must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. This is more than just a game; it’s a journey of resilience and unity, a true underdog story deeply rooted in Native American culture,” per the movie’s synopsis. Rez Ball debuts on Netflix on Friday, September 27.

In the meantime, the streamer has released a trailer and first-look photos of the sports movie. Additionally, Vincent Schilling for Native Viewpoint also did an incredible interview with Sydney Freeland that uncovers fascinating insight into the making of Rez Ball.

The nearly two-minute trailer introduces Kauchani H. Bratt as Jimmy Holiday and Kusem Goodwind as Nataanii Jackson, two close friends who play basketball together until the latter sadly passes away at just 18 years old. Jessica Matten’s Coach Heather Hobbs reaches out to Jimmy as someone to lean on during the difficult time. Heather also voices that Chuska High’s rivalry with another school will reach new heights because “With Nataani gone, they think they’re gonna walk all over us.”

What follows is a sports team coming together to do what they “do best. Rez Ball,” including calling plays in Navajo. Rez Ball is inspired by Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation by Michael Powell and Powell’s New York Times article that led to the book. The film, which received 5,000 auditions for ten parts, stars Matten, Julia Jones, Amber Midthunder, Kiowa Gordon, Dallas Goldtooth, Cody Lightning, Ernest Tsosie, Bratt, Devin Sampson Craig, River Rayne Thomas, Jojo Jackson, Avery Hale, Hunter Redhorse Arthur, Henry Wilson Jr., Jaren K. Robledo, Damian Castellane, Goodwind, and Zoey Reyes.

“For us, this film is an invitation to see a side of America — a community — that [everyone] may not be familiar with. But for myself, for these kids, for the cast, for the crew, this is something that we’ve lived and breathed our whole lives,” Freeland told Netflix’s Tudum. “We’ve done our best to try to capture that experience on-screen, on camera, and we want to share that with people. Hopefully, people watch the film and they walk out feeling like, ‘Oh wow, I didn’t know this was something that existed.’ And hopefully, we can expand people’s horizons just a little bit more,” Freeland continued.

Rez Ball is executive produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping, D. Scott Lumpkin, Maverick Carter, and Jodi Archambault. The film’s producers include Katie Elmore and Maurício Mota, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson and LeBron James, and Nancy Utley. Rez Ball comes from Springhill Company Production, Wise Entertainment Production, Chernin Entertainment, and Lake Ellyn Entertainment Production.