Give Me the Ball!

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Give Me the Ball!
Directed by Liz Garbus
Elizabeth Wolff
Produced byLiz Garbus
Elizabeth Wolff
Dominic Crossley-Holland
Dan Cogan
Chris James
Gentry Kirby
Helen Russell
Andrew Mayz
Starring Billie Jean King
CinematographyTony Hardmon
Thorsten Thielow
Edited byJoshua L Pearson
Music by Laura Karpman
Release date
  • January 26, 2026 (2026-01-26)(Sundance)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Give Me the Ball! is a 2026 American documentary film directed by Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff. The film is an intimate portrait of tennis champion and social activist Billie Jean King, examining her impact on sports and culture through archival footage and candid interviews. [1] The film is an ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary produced by Ridley Scott Associates and Story Syndicate, in association with Elton John's Rocket Sports. [2] It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2026. [1]

Contents

Premise

The documentary uses rare archival material and candid interviews with King and those closest to her to trace her groundbreaking impact on sports and culture. [3] With a particular focus on 1973—a pivotal year when King was at the apex of both her tennis career and the women's movement—the film reveals the personal cost of her fight for equity and how she prioritized changing the world over her own wellbeing. [2] [3]

Production

The documentary is produced by Garbus and Wolff's Story Syndicate, Ridley Scott Associates, and Rocket Sports, which was co-founded by Elton John. [2] It is an ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary, with a television premiere date to be announced. [2]

Speaking about the project, Garbus stated: "We need heroes. We need people who have fought the hard fights and who have come through the other side, who have made sacrifice but feel enormous pride in that sacrifice." [2]

Wolff, King, and Kloss at the premiere of Give Me the Ball! in 2026 Elizabeth Wolff, Billie Jean King, and Ilana Kloss at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.jpg
Wolff, King, and Kloss at the premiere of Give Me the Ball! in 2026

Release

Give Me the Ball! premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 22 to February 1, 2026. [1] The festival listing states the film is available in person only. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program". Sundance Institute. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tangcay, Jazz (January 26, 2026). "Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff on Why Billie Jean King's Story Needed to Be Told in 'Give Me the Ball!'". Variety . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Five LGBTQ Films To Keep An Eye On At Sundance 2026". GLAAD . December 22, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  4. "Give Me the Ball!". 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 29, 2025.