Thunderstruck (2012 film)
A boy magically gains Kevin Durant's basketball skills.
Thunderstruck is a 2012 American sports comedy film directed by John Whitesell. The film stars professional NBA player Kevin Durant as himself and Taylor Gray as Brian Newall, a 16-year-old boy who magically acquires Durant's basketball skills. The plot follows the duo as they attempt to reverse the transfer of talent.
Quick Facts
- Director
- John Whitesell
- Producer
- Mike Karz
- Writer
- Eric Champnella · Jeff Farley · Dominic Allen
- Starring
- Kevin Durant · Taylor Gray · Brandon T. Jackson · Doc Shaw · Jim Belushi
- Music
- Ali Dee Theodore
- Cinematography
- Shawn Maurer
- Editing
- Tony Lombardo
- Studio
- Karz Entertainment · Goodwin Sports
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
- Distributor
- Warner Bros. PicturesReleased under the Warner Premiere label.
- Released
- 24 August 2012
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Brian uses his new skills to make the school team, replacing star player Connor as captain. Durant's agent Alan tracks Brian down and arranges for the two to practice together to reverse the transfer, but all attempts fail. Brian eventually realizes that hitting Rumble with the same ball and repeating his initial conversation with Durant will reverse the magic. After Durant regains his talent, the Thunder qualify for the playoffs. In the final school game, Brian plays poorly without the talent but, with team help including from Connor, makes the game-winning shot, sending the Eagles to the state playoffs for the first time in 32 years.
Reader's Guide
Thunderstruck is notable as a rare acting vehicle for NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who plays himself in a comedic fantasy about talent transfer. The film received a limited theatrical release, grossing $587,211 in its only weekend and finishing 25th. Its critical reception was poor, with a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews. Durant stated after the film's financial failure that he would never act again. The film features cameos by several NBA personalities, including Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Reggie Miller, Shaquille O'Neal, and Oklahoma City Thunder players Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Durant noted that the hardest part of filming was intentionally missing jump shots to portray his character's loss of skill.
Did You Know?
- Kevin Durant said the hardest part of filming was missing jump shots on purpose to show he no longer had his basketball ability.
- The film grossed $587,211 from 250 theaters during its only weekend of release.
- After the film's financial failure, Durant said he would never act again.
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