Molly Manny Walker, who made a major splash with her debut feature “How to Have Sex,” is heading to the small screen for her first drama series, “Major Players.”
The series has been commissioned by Channel 4, with A24 producing.
Co-written by Walker and Yasmin Joseph (“A Thousand Blows”), “Major Players” follows two girls on the brink of adulthood and their mission to start a women’s soccer team. Inspired by Walker’s own experiences at high school where the crowd control was more urgent than the education, the series is described as a “a love letter to football and a funny and wild exploration of young people in London today, tackling topics from friendship to gender politics.”
Walker is also the co-founder of Babe City FC, a London-based soccer team for women and non-binary people in the film industry — a club of over 180 members.
“I can’t wait to bring ‘Major Players’ to life with this amazing team,” said Walker. “It is a coming of age story, filled with first love, grief and bicycle kicks set in your local cage. I’m excited to shine a light on women’s football which I’m a huge fan and supporter of.”
“How To Have Sex” was developed by Film4 and won the Un Certain Regard award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at the European Film Awards. The film also earned two BAFTA nominations for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Manning served as the Un Certain Regard jury head at the recently-concluded 2025 edition of Cannes.
“Molly is one of the most exciting new filmmaking voices to emerge from the U.K. in years, and it’s a thrill to be continuing our journey with her on ‘Major Players,’ alongside Yasmin Joseph and our friends at A24,” said Ollie Madden, director of Film4 and Channel 4 drama. “With its mix of wit, heart and fearless energy, it’s exactly the kind of fresh storytelling we champion across Film4 and Channel 4 Drama.”
Casting details will be announced in due course.
