Having been forced to drop out of the film due to a scheduling conflict, Emma Stone is now returning to court for the tennis saga Battle Of The Sexes. Stone's diary has been rejigged to make space for her match with Steve Carell. Brie Larson, who had been set to replace Stone, will head off to The Glass Castle instead.
The film, which boasts a script by Simon Beaufoy, will chronicle the rivalry between former tennis pro Bobby Riggs (Carell) and his 29-year-old opponent Billie Jean King, who hit the court for a legendary match in 1973 that (it was claimed) would establish if a female pro could ever beat a male in the sport. The event drew a huge audience of more than 50 million Americans, eager to see who would triumph.
Stone and Carell previously shared the screen in Crazy, Stupid Love, and Battle Of The Sexes also represents another reunion: Little Miss Sunshine’s Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (who worked with Carell on that film) are once again calling the shots. Fox Searchlight is providing the backing, and the film should be shooting soon.
It’s not the only project to tackle the subject, though: we’ve previously reported on Will Ferrell working up The Match Maker with Walter Mitty writer Steve Conrad scripting and looking to direct a version based on ESPN’s article The Match Maker: Bobby Riggs, The Mafia And The Battle Of The Sexes. And then there’s HBO and Playtone, which has * Proof*'s David Auburn writing a take with Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti as the competitors. Who will score an ace? Who will hit the net? Will there be any love lost? Er... Something to do with deuce? Strawberries and cream? Tennis things!