Steven Soderbergh is pulling no punches with the latest choice of hot non-actress set to star in his next film Knockout. Having spotted mixed martial arts madame Gina Carano on the fighting circuit, the director has worked out a script to integrate her fighting prowessinto the plot of a spy thriller.
Known for his quirky movie choices, Soderbergh has moved in the last two years between a big budget heist (Ocean's Thirteen), revolutionary biopic (Che Parts I and II), filth-filled drama (The Girlfriend Experience) and fattening up Matt Damon (for The Informant!). Adding a girl-fight to a roster which also boasts a musical about the life of Cleopatra (Cleo) could never have seemed so predictable.
Knockout is written by Lem Dobbs - who also penned The Limey and Kafka for Soderbergh - and will see the inexperienced actress Carano (also known in America as Gladiator Crush) playing a girl from the bad side of town who is given the chance to use her fighting skills to turn her life around. Soderbergh is said to see the movie as in the same vein as James Bond and will shoot in the 'exotic' locations such as Ireland and Turkey as well as the U.S.
Shooting of **Knockout **is set to begin in January.