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A soccer fan or not, everybody was surprised to hear Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney had turned their heads to soccer. In particular, towards a small soccer club in northeast Wales.
In September 2020, Reynolds and McElhenney teamed up to purchase Wrexham Football Club (Wrexham A.F.C), a non-league soccer team. The deal was officially completed in February 2021.
Now, their remarkable journey is being brought to the small screen with the documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about the highly anticipated documentary series.
When Is Welcome to Wrexham Out?
Welcome to Wrexham is the sports documentary you do not want to miss this summer.
The series will premiere on FX and FX on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in the U.K.
In the U.S., the first two episodes of the series will premiere on Wednesday, August 24 on the FX network at 10 p.m. ET, with episodes airing weekly on the network.
On Thursday, August 25, all episodes will be available to stream via FX on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in the U.K. which means fans can watch all of the half-an-hour episodes back to back if they wish.
To watch Welcome to Wrexham, you must be an FX on Hulu and Disney+ customer.
You can subscribe to FX on Hulu now for $6.99 per month and Dinsey+ for £7.99 per month to watch Welcome to Wrexham.
What Is Welcome to Wrexham About?
Welcome to Wrexham will introduce the world to the small Welsh soccer club and the arrival of two Hollywood superstars with dreams of turning things around for the historic club.
Actors Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), officially purchased Wrexham Football Club in February 2021, the third-oldest professional association team in the world. Before the deal, the club was owned by the Wrexham Supporter's Trust, a fan-operated company.
At the time of Reynolds and McElhenney's takeover, Wrexham A.F.C. was on the brink of collapse, with the trust admitting the club was experiencing a "threat to the[ir] continued existence" following the COVID-19 pandemic, reported BBC Sport.
Sky News also reported that at first, the Trust initially rejected an offer of a takeover by an intermediary but changed their minds after learning it was McElhenney and Reynolds. The acting duo turned co-owners purchased the club for £2 million ($2.75 million).
McElhenney and Reynolds are inevitably met with obstacles from the get go. First of all, they know absolutely nothing about managing a soccer team, do not permanently live in the U.K., and have never worked together.
The documentary will follow McElhenney and Reynolds' arrival in the town, the media frenzy around them, their redevelopment of the stadium, and the inner workings of the soccer team itself.
Welcome to Wrexham will also explore the town of Wrexham and the people at the center of it, who hold Wrexham FC so close to their hearts.
The synopsis via Disney teases: "In 2020, Rob and Ryan teamed up to purchase the fifth tier Red Dragons in the hopes of turning the club into an underdog story the whole world could root for. The worry? Rob and Ryan have no experience in soccer or working with each other.
"From Hollywood to Wales, from the pitch to the locker room, the front office to the pub, Welcome to Wrexham will track Rob and Ryan's crash course in soccer club ownership and the inextricably connected fates of a team and a town counting on two actors to bring some serious hope and change to a community that could use it."
Is There A Trailer For Welcome to Wrexham?
Yes, there is an uplifting new trailer for Welcome to Wrexham out now.
In the trailer, audiences catch a glimpse of Reynolds and McElhenney arriving at Wrexham and talking to fans. A young boy asks "what was the connection between you and Wrexham football club?" to which McElhenney responds "we had no connection, it was just a feeling."
The young boy then jokes if it was because the team colors match Reynolds' red Deadpool suit, with Reynolds responding "that's the real reason, sorry!"
Set against Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love," the trailer then explores the town of Wrexham and the residents at the heart of it. One man can be heard saying: "Wrexham is a town that battles against everything but what we love more than anything, is the football club."
Reynolds explains to the filmmakers "it's an underdog story" and in another moment of the trailer explains "it's about interconnectivity, between the club and the community."
McElhenney is also seen reflecting on watching soccer with his family, sharing he does not remember any exact game but recalls fondly watching it with his father as a young boy.
Welcome to Wrexham is coming to FX on Wednesday, August 24, and FX on Hulu and Disney+ on Thursday, August 25.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more