'Big George Foreman': Trailer Released for Boxing Legend's Biopic
A movie about boxing legend George Foreman is in the works. Sony Pictures recently released a trailer for Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World, and the film stars Khris Davis as George Foreman. The trailer shows Foreman's beginnings and his journey to becoming on top of the boxing world only to leave after health issues. He then comes back to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Sony Pictures also announced that Big George Foreman will be released on April 28.
"Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit," the synopsis states. "But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.
Big George Foreman is directed by George Tillman Jr., who also directed The Hate U Give, The Longest Ride, Notorious and Soul Food. The film also stars Jasmine Matthews, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr. John Magaro, Sonja Sohn and Forest Whitaker. Foreman is an executive producer along with Peter Guber, Wendy Williams and Henry Holmes. Tillman wrote the script along with Frank Baldwin. Michael K. Williams was originally set to play Foreman's trainer and mentor Doc Broadus but died before production began. Williams was replaced by Whitaker.
Foreman, 74, has a career 76-5 boxing record. He won his first 40 matches before losing to Muhammad Ali in 1974. At the time, Foreman was the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight champion and did not win a title again until he defeated Michael Moorer in 1994 when he became the WBA and IBF champion. At that time, Foreman was 45 years old. He was still champion at 46 years and 169 days old, making him the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.
One of Foreman's most memorable fights was beating Joe Frazier to win the heavyweight title in 1973. "I was doing those things to Joe Frazier that I had been doing all over the country for the last three years," he said in a 2020 interview with Sports Radio 94 WIP in Philadelphia. "Here he is trying to get close to me. Stop. Block. Get out of the way. Those were the things I was told to do from the day I turned pro… I had developed a defensive style with a punch to go along with it. That was me totally. I was right where I should have been with Joe Frazier. Defensively, it was an easy fight."