Take in a midweek pop of inspiration in a trailer for Sony Pictures Canada’s Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World. The film will tell the story of the titular boxing superstar on his rise to the top from his humble beginnings followed by his career of chewing up and spitting out all the competition in sight. Boasting a knockout lineup, the film is led by Khris Davis (Judas and the Black Messiah), Jasmine Mathews (The Man from Toronto), John Magaro (Not Fade Away), Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (The Wire), and Sullivan Jones (The Surrogate) with supporting performances by Academy Award-winner, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and Sonja Sohn (The Wire).
With Nas’ “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” playing in the background, the trailer opens with a conversation between Foreman (Davis) and his boxing mentor and trainer, Doc Broadus (Whitaker). The two chat about the rage lingering inside the future champion, alluding to the idea that the film will not only focus on Foreman’s boxing career but also on his own mental and emotional struggles. As we watch the boxer grow from a bullied kid to an up-and-coming professional athlete, the unthinkable happens after a K.O. punch leads to a brief moment of death for Foreman.
After returning from whatever afterlife he experienced, the boxer decides that he wants to pursue a religious career, hanging up his gloves and going into the ministry. With his new vision, he opens a community club for kids to learn about the sport that he loves so much with guidance from the best of the best. But, when preaching and teaching don’t pay his bills, Foreman is drawn back into the ring. Through a series of training montages (as any good sports biopic would have), we see Foreman getting back to his peak physique and preparing to triumphantly reclaim his spot as the heavyweight champion of the world.
After facing several release setbacks, we’re excited to finally see a trailer for the George Tillman Jr.-helmed sports drama make it into the ring. You may recognize the director’s name from fan-favorite productions including The Hate U Give and Men of Honor, but it’s because of his involvement in 2009’s Biggie Smalls biopic, Notorious, that we're really excited about what the filmmaker will do with his latest biographical drama. Tillman Jr. will direct from a screenplay penned by him and Frank Baldwin which is adapted from a screen story written by the duo and Dan Gordon.
Keeping a watchful eye on the long overdue big-screen telling of his life, Foreman executive produces alongside Wendy Williams, Peter Guber, and Henry Holmes with David Zelon producing.
Big George Foreman arrives in theaters on April 28, 2023. You can check out the trailer and poster below.
