Shia LaBeouf tennis drama Borg/McEnroe to open Toronto Film Festival

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Photo: Courtesy of TIFF

TIFF is serving up yet another tennis-themed historical excursion.

Shia LaBeouf’s Borg/McEnroe is set to open the Toronto International Film Festival’s upcoming 42nd edition with a high profile gala presentation, the festival announced Monday, joining fellow tennis flick and previously announced festival screener Battle of the Sexes — starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, respectively.

Borg/McEnroe, directed by Janus Metz, stars LaBeouf as famed tennis pro John McEnroe, who throughout his early career established a notable rivalry with Swedish player Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) that culminated on the court during a heated match at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships.

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Courtesy of TIFF

Acting vet Stellen Skarsgård also appears in the project, playing Lennart Bergelin, Borg’s trainer who coached him through multiple prize-winning championships between 1971 and 1983.

The film’s world premiere screening will be held at the city’s Roy Thomson Hall, where past festival openers like The Magnificent Seven (2016) and Demolition (2015) debuted in years prior.

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Courtesy of TIFF

A domestic release date has yet to be announced for Borg/McEnroe, though it is scheduled to debut across Europe throughout the month of September.

The 2017 Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 7-17.

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