Watch Taron Egerton Soar Through the Sky in the ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Trailer

The man born Michael Edwards was destined for greatness, but the world had no intention of making it easy on him. Born to a middle-class family in Great Britain, Edwards grew up with dreams of making it into the Olympics. But the boy who’d grow up to be known worldwide as Eddie the Eagle didn't have much of a talent for most of the various feats of strength and skill, leading him to narrow his focus to the field of downhill speed-skiing. He was Britain’s most lovable underdog, and though the athlete went on to finish last in both the 70m and 90m races at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988, he still inspired a nation of Britons by standing in as the first Englishman to compete in Olympic ski jumping.

The account of Eddie the Eagle’s inspirational flight provides fodder for the upcoming sports picture appropriately titled Eddie the Eagle. Taron Egerton, fresh off of a hot year with roles in Kingsman, Testament of Youth, and Legend, steps in to portray the quixotic athlete Edwards, and he’ll joined by Hugh Jackman as the fictitious Bronson Peary, a former great who sees potential in this upstart and agrees to coach young Eddie. Christopher Walken will also appear in the film, directed by Wild Bill’s Dexter Fletcher.

Judging by the look of the newly-released trailer embedded above, the film will strike a tone somewhere between the prototypical underdog sports narrative and an outright comedy — the gag at the top in which Egerton unwittingly tips over an entire line of skiers at the ready is pure schtick. Eddie the Eagle had a kooky, unlikely life marked by foibles and triumphs, and that’s exactly the sort of material a sports comedy would need to come off looking like anything other than an awkward hybrid. Sure, the color scheme of bright primary colors may be a little rough on the eyes, but with a healthy rapport between Egerton and Jackman, this could surely be a pleasurable enough time at the movies.