Jamie Foxx hints he’s ‘one step closer’ to playing Mike Tyson in biopic
The former champ has been one of the most controversial, if not dominant, athletes of all time. Now the Oscar-winning actor says he's closer to putting his story on the big screen
Could Jamie Foxx wind up playing boxing legend Mike Tyson after all?
According to the New York Daily News, rumors of the Academy Award winner being attached to the project have been swirling around for some years now, and it appears the actor is finally making some headway into making that a reality.
This week, Foxx shared a photo of himself with the former champ on Instagram, accompanied by a cryptic caption that read: “Thank u for the trust… one step closer.”
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Tyson’s life story has been full of ups and downs and was previously captured through an HBO biopic that jumpstarted Michael Jai White’s career. His story was told yet again in 2008 through a documentary directed by filmmaker James Toback. But we have yet to to see the enigmatic but endearing athlete’s story told via a big screen feature film. But Foxx seems intent on playing a large part in making that happen.
According to Movie Web, in 2009 Fox “stated he wanted to do the movie with Ray helmer Taylor Hackford directing. Foxx later said in 2015 that he and Tyson met with Paramount to pitch the movie.” The site also adds that, “Ultimately, the project would go back into development hell for another four years, but Foxx has clearly never given up hope.”
The fact that both Foxx and Tyson are publicly discussing the project again has led many to speculate that an official announcement could be made soon. Legendary director Martin Scorsese has also been rumored to be tied to project, but has yet to confirm any of those reports.
During a recent appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” the former heavyweight champ said the movie is going to be “wild.”
