by Alex Billington
May 26, 2026
Source: YouTube
“The pressure of still needing to hold his status, and also hold his family together…” “Just an unbelievable athlete.” 🏉 Dogwoof has unveiled the first official trailer for a documentary film titled Lomu, a biopic doc about the legendary rugby player named Jonah Lomu. An intimate and heartfelt character study tracing his Tongan upbringing, meteoric rise to fame, and the complicated personal and health battles he faced at the pinnacle of world rugby. The film is premiering at the Sydney Film Festival in June coming up, after first screening at the Dublin Film Festival earlier this year, because it’s directed by an Irish filmmaker. Lomu is a complex & nuanced portrait of Jonah Lomu (who passed away in 2015), the most adored son of the Pacific, a legendary All Black player, who transcended the game with immense power & unstoppable determination. Unravelling the complex and fascinating journey of a unique sports star as never before seen. This looks like a fascinating and inspiring profile of this iconic New Zealand athlete. “Not just the story of a rugby legend, but of a human being whose strength, power, and legacy continue to resonate long after the final whistle.” 🇳🇿
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Gavin Fitzgerald & Vea Mafile’o’s doc film Lomu, from YouTube:
A theatrical documentary about the legendary Jonah Lomu. An intimate and heartfelt character study tracing his Tongan upbringing, meteoric rise to fame, and the complicated personal and health battles he faced at the pinnacle of world rugby. At only 19, Jonah Lomu became the youngest player to wear the All Blacks jersey. This film charts his remarkable life as a rugby player, bursting onto the stage at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. It also goes beyond the sporting achievements to reveal the layers of Jonah Lomu’s life off the field – a warrior who fought against extraordinary odds to wear the All Blacks jersey. Lomu is documentary film directed by Irish filmmaker Gavin Fitzgerald, director of the other docs Conor McGregor: Notorious, Liam Gallagher: As It Was, and Million Dollar Pigeons previously. It’s co-directed by Vea Mafile’o. Produced by Victoria Barrell, Simon Lazenby, Emma Slade, Victoria Dabbs. This initially premiered at the 2026 Dublin Film Festival earlier this year. Dogwoof debuts Fitzgerald’s Lomu doc film in theaters in Australia starting this September. No US release date is set – stay tuned. Who wants to watch?
