Sugar Ray Biopic

Kevin Pollack (THE USUAL SUSPECTS) is set to produce a biopic of legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. “I have been approached many times in the past regarding my life story, and I believe Red Bird Cinema has the perfect group of collaborators to give my story the right voice,” said Leonard. I’m a big fan of boxing films, so this thing is music to my ears, especially when it’s about someone as great as Leonard was. In case you don’t know, he was probably the most successful boxer of the 70s, won an Olympic gold medal in ’76 and destroyed Thomas Hearns in a blitzing two rounds in ’81. Even better, the screenplay is going to be written by Pulitzer-prize winner Buzz Bissinger, the guy behind the incredibly successful FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS movie and TV series. I know that they’re hardly competing, but I can’t help but think about Aronofsky’s boxing flick, THE FIGHTER and what a treat us boxing fans might be in for.