Netflix Orders Jessica Watson Biopic ‘True Spirit’

Netflix has greenlit a feature film focused on Jessica Watson, who, in 2009, became the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. The film will be adapted and directed by Sarah Spillane and produced by Debra Martin Chase and Sunstar Entertainment Spillane and Cathy Randall will write the feature, with Shahen Mekertichian (“Lion”) for Sunstar Entertainment also producing.

The logline: After navigating and surviving some of the world’s most remote oceans, Jessica Watson was met by the Prime Minister upon her arrival home, who declared her an Australian hero. In a simple speech that won admiration across Australia and around the world, she responded that she disagreed with him, and that she didn’t consider herself a hero – just an ‘ordinary person, who had a dream, worked hard at it and proved that anything really is possible’.

Watson, who will consult on the biopic, also self-filmed a documentary, “210 Days,” while at sea, which is narrated by Sir Richard Branson. She was named Young Australian of the Year in 2011 and received an OAM (Order of Australian Medal) in 2012 for service to sailing and as a role model for young Australians.

“True Spirit” joins Netflix’s roster of family films, including  “Feel the Beat,” WWE’s “The Main Event,” and comedy “Tall Girl,” starring Ava Michelle; Upcoming films include “The Sleepover,” “Finding Ohana,” “A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting,” and “A Week Away.”