Why is the NFL schedule release such a big deal now?
We don't know, but we're glad it is, because in what other scenario would New England Patriots fans get to see their favorite players from past and present act in an outrageous parody of two classic Boston films?
With the highly-anticipated announcement of the 2024 schedule, the Patriots content team on Wednesday shared the silliest video it's ever produced: Good Jules Hunting.
Haven't seen the video yet? We recommend a quick pause to check that out below. Otherwise, read on.
The concept, of course, pays homage to Good Will Hunting, the critically acclaimed film starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. For the Patriots rendition, retired receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski lead alongside former director of football research Ernie Adams, head coach Jerod Mayo, and team chairman and CEO Robert Kraft.
If you stick around until the end, you were surprised with Patriots center David Andrews, corner Marcus Jones, and receivers Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas acting in a spoof of another favorite Boston movie, The Town. Maybe in this case we should call it The Borough?
Reaction to the video was overwhelmingly positive -- a testament to the hard work put in to pull it off. Here are a few fun facts about the video shoot:
- Both parts were filmed entirely on the campus of Gillette Stadium.
- The Good Jules Hunting shoot was pulled off in just one full day, fortunate that the availability of its stars allowed enough windows of overlap to have all of its actors in the building. Julian Edelman even made it up to Boston to catch the Red Sox game after a long day of filming.
- Little Easter eggs were visible sporadically through the video. Can you spot all the references to Pro Scouting Methods, 28-3, pink stripes, red receiver gloves, and the injury that kept Julian Edelman sidelined for Super Bowl LII?
- Shoutout to ChatGPT for help with the schedule-making theorem that is definitely useless. We added more Easter eggs to that whiteboard for a little spice.
- The famous 'Your move, chief' scene with Ernie and Julian was slightly delayed due to a helicopter taking off from behind the practice fields.
- Dunkin' and Bud Light came up big from a sponsorship standpoint, as did Toyota, lending the team a 2024 Squoia and 2024 Supra for the shoot. We had a lot of fun with those.
- Marcus Jones stole the show with his acting skills during The Town scene. Believe it or not, he completely ad-libbed all of those lines, taking things to an entirely different level.
- No, Kenridck Bourne could not stop laughing the entire time.
For more details behind the shoot, be sure to check out the extended behind-the-scenes video on YouTube.
Also check out our favorite photos from the shoot below. Your move, chief.
Check out behind-the-scenes photos from the Patriots 2024 schedule release, "Good Jules Hunting."
