Acting heavyweights Russell Crowe and Ray Winstone star in the drama Prizefighter, described as ‘The Greatest Boxing Story Never Told’.
It’s something of a surprise that it has taken this long for a biopic of James ‘Jem’ Belcher to emerge. The youngest ever boxing world champion, tales of Belcher’s considerable fighting skills in and indeed outside of the ring seem tailor made for the big screen.
The official synopsis reads “Jem Belcher is born into poverty, brought up by his grandfather, a former boxer now struggling with addiction. Desperate to make a living and honour his grandfather’s legacy, he seeks mentorship from a renowned trainer, who nurtures his natural talent and coaches him to be the greatest fighter in the world. Jem is Champion of England and top of the world before an accident leaves him partially blind, sparking a destructive downfall. Jem must prove himself once again and fight the latest champion in a brutal contest to reclaim his title once and for all”.
As well as starring as Belcher, Matt Hookings also co-produced and wrote the screenplay for the film, which is directed by Daniel Graham. Winstone, a former boxer himself, plays his trainer Bill Warr while Crowe plays his grandfather Jack Slack.
Jodhi May, Steven Berkoff, Martin Csokas and Julian Glover round out the cast.
Prizefighter will be released via Amazon Prime Video on 22nd July. Watch the trailer below:
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