Despite playing himself in a number of blockbuster Hollywood movies (from The Hangover, to Scary Movie, Rocky Balboa and Grudge Match) ex-boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson will not be portraying himself in the upcoming biopic based on his own life; instead the guise of one of boxing’s most controversial stars will go to none other than Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained).
Currently being developed by Foxx’s manager Rick Yorn, it’s not yet known how writer Terence Winter (The Wolf Of Wall Street) will approach the life story of one of boxing’s most infamous characters; a man who’s troubled childhood (involving numerous petty crimes, seeing him arrested 38 times by the tender age of 13) led him into the ring, where he was originally trained by the legendary Cus D’Amato, before his meteoric rise to the top of the squared circle saw him winning his first 19 professional bouts by knockout and eventually becoming the youngest ever Heavyweight Champion of the World at 21-years-old.
Still, while he may be fondly remembered for his in-ring ferocity and general boxing prowess (including his legendary hooks), as well as becoming a celebrity out of the ring (scoring cameos in movies such as The Hangover, and Grudge Match), the face of Polish energy drink Black, and even landing his own cartoon show (Mike tyson Mysteries; an upcoming Scooby Doo style animated show), there is a darker side to the tale of Mike Tyson, including not only womanising, partying, and divorce, but questionable in-ring tactics (including biting Evander Holyyfield’s ear off), and a rape conviction which saw him spend six years in prison.
Already the subject of a feature film biopic starring Michael Jai White (Blood and Bone), and the impressive documentary Tyson, there’s still a surprising amount of information (new and old) to pack into an upcoming biopic, and we can expect Terence Winter to delve into his scriptwriting duties properly once work has finished on Boardwalk Empire (which is entering its final season, and sees Winter acting as both head writer and showrunner).
Matt Wheeldon – @TheMattWheeldon.
Source: Variety.
