Coming June 4: Movie about Abilene High football renamed 'Under the Stadium Lights'

Abilene Reporter-News

A release date for the movie "Brother's Keeper" – now titled "Under the Stadium Lights," about Abilene High School's 2009 state championship football team, is set for a June 4 release, according to a Facebook post.

Winter State Entertainment produced the movie based on the 2010 book "Brother's Keeper" by sports writer Al Pickett and Eagles team chaplain Chad Mitchell. It was purchased by Saban Films.

Pickett on Wednesday told the Reporter-News he has seen the completed movie and, overall, is pleased.

"It's a whole lot better," he said, comparing the film to the "rough cut" shown in Abilene in March 2019. "The 'Brother's Keeper' theme is still the same ... but it's totally reedited."

He did not know why the name was changed.

Glenn Morshower as Abilene High Coach Steve Warren jumps into the air, reenacting a moment of frustration during the filming of "Under the Stadium Lights" Feb. 2, 2019. The film formerly known as "Brother's Keeper" recreates the Abilene High School Eagles 2009 championship football season.

Later Facebook postings stated there were other movies with the same title (there was a 1992 documentary and a 2013 feature called "Brother's Keeper")

Former Abilene High coach Steve Warren said he has not seen the film but that it was exciting that the film finally is coming to screens.

"It is completely different," he said of seeing the trailer.

Warren said at first glance, "Under the Stadium Lights" is more the feel-good movie audiences expected to see two years ago.

'I thought there was grit and heart':Actors pleased with 'Brother's Keeper' result

Coming to theaters, streaming

Producer Mark Smith watches as Abilene High School cheerleader Givan Walker carries a placard announcing Laurence Fishburne's role in an upcoming movie about the 2009 Eagle football championship May 16, 2018. Fishburne plays the late Harold Christian, who owned Harold's Pit Bar-B-Que, where the team had weekly meals.

"Under the Stadium Lights" is promoted: "After a crushing defeat ended their prior season, everyone counted the Abilene Eagles out of title contention. Facing doubts and personal challenges both on and off the field, it takes the guidance of their team chaplain and a surrogate father figure for the players to realize what they can achieve when they stand united."

The original Facebook post timestamped 11:25 p.m. Tuesday featured only the movie poster, which prominently shows headliners Milo Gibson and Laurence Fishburne.

On Wednesday, the trailer was added.

In response to a questions about when the movie will be released, the account stated June 4. The movie will be released in theaters and streamed, including iTunes, Amazon and gaming platforms, the media account stated.

To one commenter who stated, "I hope they made significant changes to the premier we saw in Abilene," the account replied: "Significantly different."

Warren said he hoped it immediately would open in West Texas.

Photo Gallery:"Brother's Keeper" movie premiere gala

Disappointed local response

Actors Nicholas Delgado and Adrian Favela chat with Estefania Hobson (right) and her friends after the early screening of footage from "Under the Stadium Lights,'" then known as "Brother's Keeper", at the Abilene Convention Center on March 30, 2019.

Parts of the movie were filmed in Abilene in 2019, including at Shotwell Stadium and the Abilene Zoo.

Locals attended a gala premiere March 30, 2019, at the Abilene Convention Center. It met with mixed reviews. There was more drama than football.

The trailer depicts many more action sequences than were not seen in the entire movie two years ago.

Pickett said he recently watched "Friday Night Lights," the movie based on the 1990 book of the same name by Buzz Bissinger. He noted how the movie compared to the book.

First assistant director Chris Canfield raises his arms high, directing the extras to do the same, as they film crowd scenes for "Under the Stadium Lights" at Shotwell Stadium on Feb. 3, 2019. Hundreds of locals signed up to be extras in the movie.

In the movie, the pivotal game remains Abilene High's playoff showdown with Cedar Hill.

In reality, Hershel Sims' long touchdown run widened the score in the 2009 game in the second half and took the starch out of the Longhorns. AHS won, 41-17.

In the movie, the Eagles are behind and Sims' 95-yard burst is the game-winner.

Dressed to the 2009's:'Brother's Keeper' gala premiere was a night for Abilene to shine

"That's Hollywood," Pickett said. "Would I do some things differently? Yeah, I would."

But the movie is coming out, he said, and it's way better this time.

Former Abilene High School head football coach Steve Warren waits for filming to begin Saturday Feb. 2, 2019 at Shotwell Stadium.

Warren said that during discussions about the movie, he recalled how Odessa and Permian High School's head coach, Gary Gaines – a friend, were negatively portrayed in the film version of "Friday Night Lights."

Speaking up for Abilene, Abilene High School and the players and coaches, he told the movie producers if that happened with "Brother's Keeper," "I promise you, I will hunt you down."

He believes those making the movie listened to local reaction after the premiere and made changes to make it more of a football movie while maintaining a compelling storyline.

"Everyone was excited about seeing a football movie," Warren said. "Credit goes to those guys for listening to us."

Blake Norvell brought his mother Margaret (right) and a plush bald eagle to the gala premiere of an early cut of "Under the Stadium Lights", then called "Brother's Keeper," on March 30, 2019.

There is far more action in "Under the Stadium Lights," Pickett said, including interspersing actual game footage provided by the Abilene ISD, he said. His radio play by play with Chuck Statler is used, too, he said.

In contrast, the original opening scene involving Mitchell that shocked the Abilene audience in 2019 has been dropped, he said.

Pickett noted that it took 14 years to make a movie of the best-selling Bissinger book.

"This just took 12 years," he said, chuckling, adding the book came out six months after the championship season.