MIGHTY MARY
The Project (Mighty Mary): Atlanta Hawks owner and NBA All-Star, Grant Hill; Allison Abner (writer for Narcos, West Wing, Imperfect Women) and award-winning documentary filmmaker (and Olympian) Mary Mazzio, along with Skydance Sports and Paramount Pictures, have teamed up to produce a new documentary film project (co-narrated by Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks) about an amazing group of “we eat nails for breakfast” type of women: the first all-women’s sailing team to contend for the famed America’s Cup, the holy grail for one of sport’s most elite and exclusive racing events. This team was groundbreaking, beginning with an advertisement in the New York Times (prompting hilarious responses from a wide swath of Americana who thought they might have what it takes to sail in the America’s Cup, including a woman flexing in a bikini next to a cactus). From there, a group of world class and Olympic sailors as well as Olympic rowers came together, a team which included a deaf sailor, a Native American sailor, and the first African American sailor to ever win an America’s Cup race (as a coach of this novice, erstwhile team). What was dismissed as a publicity stunt turned into something unimaginable. This motley crew (sailing aboard Mighty Mary) stunningly eliminated Stars & Stripes from contention, helmed by 4-time America’s Cup winner, Dennis Connor (“Mr. America’s Cup). However, a secret backroom deal the night before the race undid that win, all unbeknownst to the women.
This is a true underdog story about a team which reshaped what could be possible in a sport that had long been inaccessible. It is also rousing call to young girls to get out there, get dirty, face failure, explore and push limitations, challenge glass ceilings, develop confidence, and ultimately learn what it means to be a good teammate and, as importantly, how to be a leader, both on and off the field. It is also a story that we can all agree on… about a team of unlikely people who came together to achieve the unthinkable.
Mighty Mary will make its official debut on June 18 at the Nantucket Film Festival
with a special attendance from many of the sailors including Olympians, Round-the-World
Sailors and World Champions. The documentary will be released theatrically with AMC Theatres beginning September 11, 2026, in several major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, Detroit, San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco, Annapolis, Oklahoma City, and Traverse City (MI).
Mighty Mary is executive produced by Elizabeth Banks, Hugh Jackman, Arthur M. Blank, Grant Hill, Tamia Hill, Sue Wagner, Bryan White, Christine White, Bill Hudson, Laurie M. Tisch, John H. Carlson, Bill McNabb, Katie McNabb, Bruce Herring, Tricia Herring, Dori Walton, Bill Walton, Skydance Sports’ Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, Jon Weinbach, Lauren Gaffney along with Alexis Garcia and Allison Abner. Original score is by Grammy-winning producer Shep Crawford. The film is edited by Kyle Farmer, Mary Mazzio and Shondra Burke, with cinematography by Peter Levy and Patrick Ruth. The film will be distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
