Five years after his passing, Diego Maradona will come alive on the screen in an animated series being developed by Reliance Enterprises Animation.

The Mumbai-based company recently acquired the character IP for developing the life story of the football icon, who passed away on this day (25 November) five years ago into an animated series.

The animation house, which is a part of Reliance Entertainment, is working on a scripted series portraying Maradona’s life from his childhood to global fame, to be streamed on OTT platforms and television. The series is in the pre-production stage currently.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of WAVES Film Bazaar, the market component of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.

Creative producer, animator and CEO of Reliance Animation, Tejonidhi Bhandare, also announced the project on Instagram. He wrote, “Delighted to start the work on the life story of Maradona The Legend.”

“We are thrilled to bring the extraordinary story of Diego Maradona to a new generation through animation,” Shibasish Sarkar, CEO of Reliance Entertainment, told US-based entertainment magazine Variety.

He added, “His journey of resilience, passion, and achievement transcends sports, and we believe it will inspire audiences worldwide.”

He further told Variety that their team is planning to create the series in a way that would resonate with viewers of every age and culture. “Our team is committed to capturing the spirit, struggles, and triumphs of Maradona’s life in a way that resonates with viewers across ages and cultures,” Bhandare told Variety.

Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers in history, was an Argentine professional player and manager.

Born in 1960, he rose to global fame with exceptional skill and vision, earning the nickname ‘El Pibe de Oro’ (The Golden Boy). His crowning achievement was captaining Argentina to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, a tournament where he scored two of the most famous goals in history against England in the quarter-final: the controversial ‘Hand of God’ and the mesmerising ‘Goal of the Century’ solo effort.