'Rise of the 49ers' directors detail working on docuseries of the 'most human teams'

by: Brian Jones 3 hours ago brianjones_93

Super Bowl LX is right around the corner, and AMC is celebrating by releasing the docuseries, The Rise of the 49ers , on Sunday (Feb. 1). The four-part series will look at the San Francisco 49ers winning five Super Bowl championships from 1981 to 1995.

On3 spoke to Rise of the 49ers directors Ryan Kelly and Nick Mascolo about telling the story of the 49ers dynasty. “Working at NFL Films, you kind of have to be a football fan, but I’m a huge football fan, and I’m a huge fan of history,” Kelly told On3. And the 49ers’ history in the ’80s and ’90s during their dynasty is some of the best storytelling you can sink your teeth into from the perspective of a director or a producer.

“They were great. I mean, they were a team full of Hall of Famers, but beyond that, they were probably one of the most human teams, like just the interpersonal conflicts and the drama, but also the love that these players have for each other and still have to this day. It’s a fantastic story.”

Rise of the 49ers includes new interviews from 49ers legends such as Joe Montana , Steve Young , Jerry Rice, Randy Cross , Ronnie Lott , and former team owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr . The docuseries also features Tom Brady , a longtime 49ers fan who is the narrator and executive producer.

“Tom is great,” Kelly said. “I mean, I think people are seeing it more and more on his FOX broadcasts every Sunday. His love for the game shines through, and it was great to be able to work with him and let him tell the story of the origin of that love. And I think that’s going to surprise a lot of people because people are going to be like, ‘Well, Tom Brady didn’t play for the 49ers,’ and you’re going to learn that. He grew up in San Mateo, California, a few miles away from Candlestick Park, where the 49ers played.”

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