Does Liev Schreiber have what it takes to step into the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali? Director Jeff Feuerzeig clearly thinks so, as he’s hired the actor to play legendary New Jersey heavyweight pugilist Chuck Wepner in a story based on the man’s life and career.
Naomi Watts – Schreiber’s real-life other half – is on board to co-star alongside Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks.
Wepner got his start in the ring when he boxed as a US Marine before turning pro, becoming a popular fighter in New Jersey. But he never quite found real fame and fortune, earning the nickname “The Bayonne Bleeder” for some of his more serious injuries. Yet he battled on, eventually winning more fights and winning a shot at his big chance - a match challenging Muhammad Ali for the world’s Heavyweight Title. While he did manage to knock the champ down at one point, Ali won in the 15th round on a technical knockout, with Wepner badly hurt.
It just so happened that a young, ambitious actor named Sylvester Stallone was watching the fight on TV that night, and became inspired to write a movie to star in about a underdog boxer who gets his shot at the big time. A boxing movie franchise was born…
Feuerzeig, who won kudos for his documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, penned the script with Jerry Stahl, and aims to shoot at some point this year.