Leap (film)
Leap (Chinese: 夺冠) is a 2020 biographical sports film directed by Peter Chan and starring Gong Li and Huang Bo. The film is based on the China women's national volleyball team's stories spread over more than 40 years. The film was released in Mainland China and the United States on September 25, 2020. It had been slated for release in China on January 25, 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year, but was withdrawn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The film's Chinese title was originally named "China Women's Volleyball Team" ("Zhong Guo Nu Pai") but due to regulatory issues, was renamed as Duoguan ("to take the crown") one day before pre-release sales started. Leap is the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
Leap (Chinese: 夺冠) is a 2020 biographical sports film directed by Peter Chan and starring Gong Li and Huang Bo. The film is based on the China women's national volleyball team's stories spread over more than 40 years. The film was released in Mainland China and the United States on September 25, 2020. It had been slated for release in China on January 25, 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year, but was withdrawn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The film's Chinese title was originally named "China Women's Volleyball Team" ("Zhong Guo Nu Pai") but due to regulatory issues, was renamed as Duoguan ("to take the crown") one day before pre-release sales started. Leap is the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

Cast
Gong Li as Coach Lang Ping
Lydia Bai as Young Lang Ping
Huang Bo as Chen ZhongHe
Peng YuChang as Young Chen ZhongHe
Wu Gang as Yuan WeiminLang Ping the player is played by her real-life daughter Lydia Bai (Chinese name: Bai Lang), a former Stanford Cardinal player. Lydia Bai herself is played by Audrey Hui (Joan Chen's daughter) in the film.

2013–16 Chinese national team
The cast consists of ten out of the twelve Olympic Gold medalists from the 2016 Rio Olympics squad appearing as themselves. As Wei Qiuyue was pregnant at the time of filming, Yao Di (who was cut before the Olympics) was cast to act as Wei. (Despite Wei's absence, her husband Yuan Lingxi, who has been an assistant coach on the team, appears in the film as himself.)

1980s Chinese national team
Others
Production
Hong Kong American director Peter Chan was signed to direct the film. Gong Li plays the female lead, Lang Ping, the current head coach of the China women's national volleyball team. Filming began on April 16, 2019, and wrapped up in August 2019.

Soundtrack
The theme song "River of Life" (生命之河) is a duet by Faye Wong and Na Ying, and produced by Zhang Yadong.
The promotion song "Day and Night" (不分昼夜) is sung by Jackson Yee, and produced by Radio Mars

Instrumental music
Release
Leap was scheduled for release on January 25, 2020, in China, but was withdrawn due to COVID-19 pandemic. The film debuted in China on September 25, 2020, a few days before the National Day of the People's Republic of China. That weekend, theaters were allowed to sell up to 75% of available tickets, compared to 50%, due to a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions. It made its United States debut on the same day across 80 theaters in select cities.

Reception
On its first day at the Chinese box office, the film earned $8.2 million. It went on to earn 700 million yuan (approximately $104 million) through the Golden Week holiday.

Awards and nominations
See also
List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
List of Chinese submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Chak De! India

References
External links
Leap at IMDb 
Leap at Douban (in Chinese)
Leap at Mtime.com (archived) (in Chinese)
Official trailer (w/ English subtitles) on YouTube
Real highlights of Team China at Rio 2016 on YouTube