Jamie Foxx Will Play Mike Tyson In A Script Written By Terence Winter
According to Variety, Jamie Foxx is attached to play Mike Tyson in an upcoming biopic. The script is expected to be written by the writer of “Wolf of Wall Street,” “Sopranos,” and “Boardwalk Empire,” Terence Winter.
Sources tell Variety that Foxx is attached to play Mike Tyson in an untitled biopic that Terence Winter is set to pen. Rick Yorn, who is Foxx’s manager, is shepherding the project and will produce. The package is still coming together and is currently without a studio, but once the final details are ironed out and it is presented to the market, it shouldn’t be hard to interest a distributor. As one of the most polarizing figures in sports, producers are eager to tackle Tyson’s life story. Known for the power and ferocity he displayed in the ring, Tyson became not just the top boxer at the end of the ’80s but one of the most popular sports figures, with a rough around-the-edges personality he displayed both in and out of the ring. [via]
Mike Tyson recently spoke with reporters about working with Jamie Foxx. “Me and Jamie Foxx are in discussion, and we gonna do it,” said Tyson, 48. “Within a year to 18 months, we’re going to do the Mike Tyson story and he’s going to portray me, and now they have this new animation; because you know Jamie’s pretty much my age so he can’t portray me but they have this new system.”
Jamie Foxx has recently asked Mike Tyson for help training for the role. Having impersonated Tyson, for comedy skits, he revealed that he knows Tyson pretty well and how the world championship boxer has changed over the years. “I got a chance to hang out with Mike when Mike was at his height,” he said, “and I watched [him] go from his height to where he is now, and I talked to him about doing his story. I think that story would be fantastic … and I had my makeup artist dress me up as Mike Tyson … People were literally coming up asking for autographs. So hopefully, Mike, if you’re listening, let’s make history.”
As of recent years, Jamie Foxx has developed and became one of the most versatile actors in the industry. But, what makes this an amazing announcement is that Terence Winter is an amazing writer. His work has received several Emmys and Academy Award nominations. Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.
