Since his film-debut in 8 Mile nearly a decade ago, fans have anxiously waited for Eminem to hit the silver screen again in a starring role.
Long-rumored roles such as the bounty hunter Paladin in Half Gun, Will Travel and minor spots in Funny People and an episode of “Entourage” have done little to sate the appetite of movie goes who wanted more Shady. However, it appeared that Eminem’s purported role in Southpaw, a boxing drama, would come to fruition.
Not so, reports deadline.com, as DreamWorks has given the project back to filmmakers. The film was to be directed by Antoine Fuqua, with the script by “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter.
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No reason has been given for the move. DreamWorks picked up the pitch late last year. The film was supposed to have Em star as a “fast-rising welterweight boxer who brawls his way to the title, only to see his world crash down around him due to a tragedy.”
“In a way, this is a continuation of the 8 Mile story, but rather than a literal biography, we are doing a metaphorical narrative of the second chapter of his life,” said Sutter. “He’ll play a world champion boxer who really hits a hard bottom, and has to fight to win back his life for his young daughter. At its core, this is a retelling of his struggles over the last five years of his life, using the boxing analogy. I love that the title refers to [Eminem] being a lefty, which is to boxing what a white rapper is to Hip Hop; dangerous, unwanted and completely unorthodox. It’s a much harder road for a southpaw than a right-handed boxer.”
The film is expected to be quickly picked up by another studio.
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