An inspiring, tear-jerking and passionate tale of one man’s unrelenting determination to represent Britain in the 1988 Winter Olympics, actors Hugh Jackman and Kingsman star Taron Egerton have combined forces to present the autobiographical sports drama, “Eddie the Eagle.”

The film is based on the true events of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, a British skier who became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 1988. The production stars Egerton as the heroine Edwards and Jackman as the Olympian’s fictitious coach Bronson Peary.

“It is a film with a lot of humor, it’s a great story, a great underdog story,” said Jackman during a press conference held at the Four Seasons hotel in central Seoul on Monday. 

“It’s a film with a lot of heart. By the end of it, it will have you cheering and may even bring a tear to your eye. So I hope the people of Korea will love the movie as much as we loved making it,” he added.

“Eddie the Eagle,” which will premiere in Korea next month, was directed by the internationally renowned English actor and director Dexter Fletcher, who has had his hand in more than 70 films in his four decades in the entertainment industry.

Fletcher revealed that prior to filming he had tried to find movies about ski jumping for reference. He had found only one film -- the 2009 Korean movie “Take Off,” starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Dong-wook.

“‘Take off’ was very interesting for us because, certainly for me as a filmmaker, when I looked around for other films about ski jumping it was the only film that there was,” said the director. “And it sets the bar very high.”

“There is obviously a cross over because they are about similar things, but I think the Eddie version is more English, so there are two cultures that are connected by one great thing, which is ski jumping,” he added. “It’s interesting how Eddie’s story can relate and communicate with Korean people.” 

A passionate and feel-good romp, the story of Edwards can be seen as a classic underdog tale. In the late 1980s, Edwards, who was physically disabled as a child, defied all odds, not only fulfilling his dream of becoming an Olympian, but also becoming one the world’s most famous and revered athletes. 

“Coming from Australia, I knew nothing of ski jumping,” Jackman said with his signature smile. “I don’t think there’s ever been an Australian ski jumper. Yet I was still mesmerized by the sport. I think there’s something, on one hand, so beautiful and graceful. And on the other hand, so death-defying and dangerous. It’s captivating to watch.”

“I’m so excited for Korea to have the Olympics and I urge every one of you, if there’s one event you should go and watch live, it should be ski jumping because it’s spectacular to watch,” he continued. “I think visually it’s a beautiful sport for film, because when you see this movie at the cinema, you genuinely get a sense of what it must be like … you really get a sense of the grandeur as well as the danger of the sport.”

“But I really hope audiences respond not only to the sport of ski jumping, but more to the heart that I think is in this movie,” Jackman added. 

“Eddie the Eagle” will hit local theaters from April 7. The film also guest stars Hollywood legend Christopher Walken as the gold medalist ski jumper Warren Sharp.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)