Arizona Tribune - Dolphin Partners With Vaneast Pictures To Bring Sports Drama Youngblood to Berlin for International Sales

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / February 17, 2026 / Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) announced today that it has closed with Vaneast Pictures to serve as the international sales agent for the upcoming sports remake, Youngblood. Vaneast will present the title to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlin International Film Festival, which runs from February 12 - 22.

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.

A contemporary adaptation of the beloved 1986 MGM classic, YOUNGBLOOD follows hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who travels from Detroit to Canada to join the Hamilton Mustangs in pursuit of his professional hockey 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.

"Vaneast couldn't be more thrilled to launch international sales on Youngblood. It's a powerful, emotional story with genuine global appeal, and we're excited to partner with Dolphin Entertainment to bring the film to audiences worldwide," said Danielle Gasher, Vaneast Pictures.

"YOUNGBLOOD is a contemporary reimagining that speaks to both legacy fans and a new generation of audiences. Danielle and Vaneast bring a sharp understanding of the international marketplace and a clear vision for how to position the film globally, and we're excited to have them leading sales as the film heads into Berlin," shared Bill O'Dowd, CEO at Dolphin.

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 was adapted by screenwriters Josh Epstein & Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron and the late Charles Officer. Dolphin Entertainment'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.

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.

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VANEAST PICTURES
Vaneast Pictures is an independent sales, financing, and production company founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Danielle Gasher, a seasoned film executive who previously led acquisitions and international sales at Gravitas Ventures and served as Vice President of International Sales at Voltage Pictures. Vaneast's slate includes the comedy Jacob Beats Up Nate starring Justin Long and Lamorne Morris; the action-comedy Hellhound starring Marisa Tomei, Sam Rockwell, and Chris Messina; the TIFF-selected thriller Little Lorraine starring Stephen Amell and J Balvin; the horror thriller The Cure starring David Dastmalchian and Ashley Greene; and the mystery thriller What We Hide starring McKenna Grace and Dacre Montgomery.

James Carbonara
HAYDEN IR
(646)-755-7412
[email protected]

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SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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