'Boys in the Boat': FOX 13 sits down with George Clooney, author Daniel James Brown ahead of film premiere

SEATTLE - The long-awaited film version of local author Daniel James Brown's bestselling book, "The Boys in the Boat," premieres on the big screen Christmas Day.

The film, directed by George Cloone, is the true story about the University of Washington men's rowing team that defied the odds to capture the gold medal in the 1936 Olympic Games.

The University of Washington men's rowing team. 

FOX 13's Bill Wixey sat down with Clooney and Brown about how the book and film came to life.

Director of "The Boys in the Boat" George Clooney (left) and author Daniel James Brown (right).

"I thought it was a cinematic story. You know you’re going to beat the seniors. You’re going to beat the elite schools, and you’re going to beat Hitler. You know that’s a pretty good story," Clooney said.

Daniel shared how he decided to tell their story.

"This lady named Judy Rantz Willman is my neighbor and she came to me, and she had been reading one of my earlier books with her dad,and asked me if I would come down and meet him. I think it was the next day I went down and met this elderly gentleman named Joe, and it turns out he was in the last few months of his life," he said.

WATCH BELOW: Part One: George Clooney, author Daniel James Brown discuss story behind ‘Boys in the Boat’

Part Two: Why ‘Boys in the Boat’ wasn't filmed in Seattle

Part Three: History behind 'Boys in the Boat'