Sony Pictures’s Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World is hitting theaters next weekend, and it features Khris Davis as the titular boxer as well as Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Sonja Sohn, and Forest Whitaker. In honor of the movie’s release, ComicBook.com had a chat with the film’s director, George Tillman Jr., who previously helmed The Hate You Give, Notorious, and Soul Food as well as episodes of Power, Luke Cage, and This Is Us. During the interview, Tillman Jr. talked about using real footage from Foreman’s fight with Evander Holyfield.ย
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“At that time, I felt like, as a filmmaker, we spent so much time to get those fights right, the early part, even the five fights when George fights five fighters, that actually happened,” Tillman Jr. explained. “That’s a real true story while Ali is doing the commentary, We spent time with that, and I felt like at that time Holyfield, I just felt like ‘Let’s take it from Mary Jones’ point of view,’ because it was from her vision, you know? Her vision at that point, which is real life, she said she dreamed that George was gonna win a Heavyweight Championship belt. So she’s looking at that and on television, I stayed in her point of view, and it didn’t happen, you know what I mean? So those are the things that I felt like was the right time to break away. And we never really see that often, you know, in most boxing movies, we do some things in the boxing genre that we try to go left when everybody goes straight.”ย
What Isย Big George Foreman About?
Sony Pictures describes ย Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the Worldย as follows: “Big George Foremanย is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances. Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.”
Big George Foremanย premieres on April 28th.
