Beaky Blinders star Finn Cole is trading the lawless streets of Birmingham for the 1972 Olympic Games for his upcoming role in the star-studded movie, Gable.

Based on a “gruelling” true story, the film sees Finn play American wrestler Dan Gable, a working class boy from Iowa who overcame a tragic loss in his family and who is now considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

Finn Cole will play Dan Gable© Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I
Finn Cole will play Dan Gable

Alongside a star-studded cast that includes Leslie Bibb (The White Lotus) and KJ Apa (Riverdale), Gable is written with Michael Wallach, who served as an assistant producer for 2012 horror movie The Bay.

It’s also directed by Jon Greenhalgh, who is no stranger to the genre, having created Netflix’s wrestling documentary Team Foxcatcher in 2016. Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates Redick, who worked on BlacKkKlansman and Get Out, are set to produce. Keep reading for everything we know about Gable, which is due to begin filming this summer.

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What is Gable about?

The movie follows the true story of wrestler Dan Gable, a young man who went on to win two NCAA titles at Iowa State University and took home a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics without dropping a point across six matches.

The synopsis, as per Deadline, reads: “Gable chronicles the athlete’s journey, as a working-class kid from Waterloo, Iowa, who overcame an unthinkable family tragedy to become one of the most dominant athletes in the history of combat sports, compiling a 181-1 record throughout high school and college, and ultimately facing off against the powerful Soviets at the height of the Cold War.”

Dan Gable and Ruslan Ashuraliyev competing in the Men's freestyle 68 kg wrestling event at the 1972 Summer Olympics © Disney General Entertainment Con
Dan Gable and Ruslan Ashuraliyev competing in the Men’s freestyle 68 kg wrestling event at the 1972 Summer Olympics

After competing at a national level, Dan went on to achieve success as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, with a 355-21-5 record and 15 NCAA championship wins.

Now 77, Dan was inducted into both the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and Wrestling Hall of Fame, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.

Iowa coach Dan Gable on sidelines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 1991© Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
Iowa coach Dan Gable on sidelines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 1991

Who stars in Gable?

The movie is led by Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders, Animal Kingdom), who plays Dan Gable. He’s joined by Ben Foster (The Messenger), Leslie Bibb (The White Lotus) and KJ Apa (Riverdale) in unnamed roles.

Leslie Bibb and KJ Apa are also set to star in Gable© Getty
Leslie Bibb and KJ Apa are also set to star in Gable

What have the creatives said?

While Dan’s legendary career is well documented, Gable director Jon Greenhalgh assured: “This is a film about what lies beneath that iron-clad exterior.”

Meanwhile, producer Shaun Redick said: “In Gable, we have a world class stunt coordinator, Steve Brown, who was also an All-American wrestler.

Coach Dan Gable of the Iowa Hawkeyes © Getty Images
Coach Dan Gable of the Iowa Hawkeyes

“He’s working with our director, and NCAA champion wrestler, Zack Esposito, to bring the audience into the gruelling, action-packed moments in a way that’s never been done before.”

Producer Yvette Yates Redick added: “Beneath Dan’s achievements is a deeply human story about resilience, connection and finding purpose through each other.”