'The Boys in the Boat' photos: George Clooney directs new sports drama

Oct. 4 (UPI) -- MGM is giving a glimpse of the new film The Boys in the Boat.

The studio shared first-look photos and a featurette for the sports drama Wednesday.

The Boys in the Boat is based on the Daniel James Brown book, which recounts how the University of Washington rowing team competed in Men's Eight at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics.

The film is written by Mark L. Smith and directed by George Clooney. Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Peter Guinness and Alec Newman star.

"This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world," an official synopsis reads.

In the featurette, Clooney shares how The Boys in the Boat is about "strong, tough kids" pushing through adversity.

"They're rowing because it's the only way they could stay in college," the actor says. "The stakes were much higher for them, and it gave them an edge."

The Boys in the Boat opens in theaters Dec. 25.

The film mark's Clooney's first project as a director since the 2021 film The Tender Bar.