The Fighter is one of those projects that has been lingering around Hollywood studio offices but stuck in a stagnant mud puddle for years. Originally the film was supposed to star Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon and was to be directed by Darren Aronofsky (that’s a pretty impressive line up), but it was postponed and delayed for various reasons several times. Eventually Damon left the project… then Aronofsky left… then Brad Pitt became attached… then Brad Pitt left… and the movie has just been sitting in limbo ever since.
It now appears that life has once again been breathed into The Fighter’s lungs. Variety Magazine is reporting that the film now has a new financier (Relativity Media) and that Christian Bale is stepping in to play the role Damon was originally supposed to play.
Wahlberg will play Ward, a fighter who was losing bouts and was ready to hang up the gloves when his brother came back into his life. Bale will play Eklund, whose drugs and robbery spree drew him a 10- to 15-year sentence in state prison. There, he kicked drugs, became a model prisoner and emerged as a changed man who helped his brother reach the glory that eluded him.
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for boxing movies… well… any sports movie really.
With Arnofsky gone, David Russell (who has previously directed I Heart Huckabees and Three Kings) is stepping in to helm the project. I’m looking forward to this one… if it ever actually gets made. Stay tuned next week when we probably have to report Bale ditches, Russell is off because he wants a sex change and Fox becomes the new studio.
