The film will open in North American theaters on March 6, 2026
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / December 4, 2025 / Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) announces the sale of U.S. distribution rights to YOUNGBLOOD to Well Go USA Entertainment, a leading international and independent film distributor. Well Go's theatrical release will coincide with Canadian distributor Photon Films and Media, putting the film in theaters across North America on March 6, 2026. The film is produced by Aircraft Pictures in association with Dolphin Entertainment and Canadian theatrical distributor Photon Films and Media.
A contemporary adaptation of the beloved 1986 MGM classic, the gripping new sports drama from Academy Award® director nominee Hubert Davis (The Well, Black Ice), YOUNGBLOOD follows hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who travels from Detroit to Canada to join the Hamilton Mustangs in pursuit of his NHL dreams. Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent - and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies. As he confronts toxic behavior both on the ice and within himself, Dean is forced to decide what kind of man and player he wants to become.
"We're thrilled to partner with Well Go USA as well as Photon in Canada to bring YOUNGBLOOD to audiences across North America," said Dolphin CEO, Bill O'Dowd. "The timing of the release is ideal for marketing efforts that will coincide with both the 40th anniversary of the original film's release as well as the Winter Olympics, where men's hockey consistently ranks among the most-watched events, often drawing up to 30 million U.S. viewers per game."
The cast includes Ashton James (Boxcutter, Revenge of the Black Best Friend) in the title role of Dean Youngblood, Blair Underwood (Longlegs, Deep Impact, LA Law) as his father Blane Youngblood, Shawn Doyle (The Expanse, Fargo, Big Love) as Coach Chadwick, Alexandra McDonald (Night Blooms, Testament) as Jessie Chadwick, Henri Picard (The Dishwasher, For Those Who Don't Read Me) as Denis Sutton, Donald MacLean Jr. (Workin' Moms, Nurses) as Carl Racki, Olunike Adeliyi (The Expanse, Workin' Moms) as Ruby Youngblood, Emidio Lopes (Painkiller, The Changeling) as Kelly Youngblood and Tamara Podemski (Outer Range, Reservation Dogs) as Ms. McGill.
YOUNGBLOOD made its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a rapturous response from audiences - particularly the festival's passionate hockey community - and earned strong critical acclaim.
The film includes scenes shot in collaboration with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, while renowned hockey technical advisor Christopher V. Nelson (Miracle, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) choreographed the film's dynamic and highly authentic on-ice action.
YOUNGBLOOD is based on a script by screenwriters Josh Epstein & Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron and the late Charles Officer. Dolphin's Bill O'Dowd and Emerson Davis serve as Executive Producers, alongside Allan Fung and Photon Films and Media's Mark Slone and Zanne Devine. Aircraft Pictures' Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen produced the film. The film is produced with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, Ontario Creates and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
CAA Media Finance and Dolphin Entertainment, which brokered the deal with Well Go on behalf of the filmmakers, continue to represent the film's international distribution rights.
ABOUT YOUNGBLOOD
Dean Youngblood was raised by his father, Blane, on a diet of toughness and hockey. When Dean is invited to join the Hamilton Mustangs, he travels to Canada from Detroit where his skill commands respect and his arrogance earns him fast enemies. Coach Chadwick, resentful of being saddled with such a toxic player, keeps Dean benched game after game. Dean's frustration builds, culminating in a violent outburst involving rival goon Carl Racki that costs the Mustangs a significant win.
As Team Captain Sutton takes him under his wing, Dean begins to buck Blane's teachings and his growing maturity spurs a relationship with Jessie - Coach Chadwick's daughter - who gives Dean a run for his money on and off the ice. His newfound resolve draws the ire of Racki, who provokes Dean during a game by attacking and seriously injuring Sutton. As the final game of the playoffs approaches, so does his showdown with Racki and Dean's choice as to what kind of man he wants to be.
ABOUT DOLPHIN
Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) is where cultural creation meets marketing execution. Founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, Dolphin operates as both a venture studio-developing and investing in breakthrough content, products, and experiences-and a marketing consortium, featuring leading agencies across every communications discipline.
At its core, the venture studio creates, produces, finances, markets, and promotes new businesses and cultural ideas - ranging from acclaimed film, television, and digital content to consumer goods, live events and partnerships that define entertainment and lifestyle. Surrounding this entrepreneurial engine, Dolphin's marketing prowess brings together best-in-class firms including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects, and The Digital Dept. Together, this collective delivers unmatched cross-marketing expertise and relationships across every vertical of pop culture - from film, television, music, influencers, sports, hospitality, and fashion to consumer brands and purpose-driven initiatives. Dolphin marketing has been the recipient of many accolades, including #1 Agency of the Year on the Observer PR Power List in 2025, The PR Net 100, and the PR News Elite 120.
ABOUT WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMENT
Well Go USA Entertainment (www.wellgousa.com) is an Oscar®-nominated theatrical and home entertainment distribution label that specializes in bringing the best in action, genre and independent films from the U.S. and around the world to North America. Well Go titles can be seen across a variety of platforms, including in theaters, on-demand, via DVD and Blu-ray and on television, as well as on mobile and connected devices through martial arts and action channel Hi-YAH! (www.hiyahtv.com). Well Go USA Entertainment's corporate headquarters is in Plano, Texas, with an additional office in Taiwan.
ABOUT AIRCRAFT PICTURES
Based in Toronto, Aircraft Pictures was founded by Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen to create high quality, scripted content for kids, families, and young adults. Recent projects include the Netflix Global Top 10 drama series Geek Girl, the CBC/BBC scripted K-pop drama Gangnam Project; the YTV/Nickelodeon scripted comedy Popularity Papers, theApple TV+ series Circuit Breakers, the Hulu Original series Holly Hobbie; the Family Channel/Roku animated series Summer Memories; and the Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award nominated animated feature film The Breadwinner. For more information, visit www.aircraftpictures.com.
ABOUT PHOTON FILMS AND MEDIA
Launched in 2010, Photon Films and Media (photonfilms.ca), formerly Pacific Northwest Pictures, is a leading Canadian entertainment company specializing in the development, financing, production and distribution of feature films for the domestic and international marketplace. With an emphasis on high quality films from leading filmmakers in diverse genres, Photon Films brings those films to consumers with innovative forms of marketing and distribution across all distribution platforms.
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CONTACT:
James Carbonara
HAYDEN IR
(646)-755-7412
james@haydenir.com
SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment
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