Slated for production this winter in Calgary and the U.K., the feature copro Eddie the Eagle will retell the exploits of 1988 Winter Olympics oddity Michael Edwards. British comedian Steve Coogan is signed to star as the bespectacled ski-jumping no-hoper under the direction of Declan Lowney (Little Britain) from a screenplay by Sean Macaulay. Producers are John Heyman of London’s World Film Services, Rupert Maconick of U.S.-based Saville Productions and Roy Krost of Vancouver-based Silver Screen International.

Entertainment One has picked up the Canada and U.K. rights from London-based sales operation HanWay Films. E1-owned Seville Pictures has all rights in Canada, while its London-based Contender Films has all for the U.K. and Ireland.

Seville co-president John Hamilton predicts an enthusiastic reception for the story of Edwards, who was the first Brit to ski jump at the Olympics.