Argent To Rev Up Olympic Coming-Of-Age Boxing Doc, THEY FIGHT, As Narrative Feature
Fox Sports’ boxing doc, They Fight, is well on the way to a narrative feature adaptation according to Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman. Argent Pictures’ Jill and Ryan Ahrens, and Ben Renzo, and Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures are producing the new movie inspired by Andrew Renzi’s 2017 doc and Michael Minahan’s 2016 WaPo article on which its based.
Renzi is penning the screenplay for the new feature which, like Renzi’s They Fight, will center on a group of adolescent boxers and their formerly incarcerated coach in Southeast Washington DC on the road to defend their national titles – according to Wiseman. Argent’s own Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, and retirees – NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks, and NBA all-star Michael Finley will serve as exec producers.
Producer Ryan Ahrens said, “We really felt compelled to make a bigger cinematic version of this story after seeing how powerful the documentary played and the audience connection to it. Not every documentary lends itself to narrative stories on the big screen, but we feel They Fight is one of those rare stories that deserves to be shared with feature film audiences. Andrew’s passion has driven this project from the beginning and we’re happy to partner with him on the feature!”
Renzi added, “Growing up in Philadelphia, where Rocky and Creed are perceived as so much more than just fictional characters, boxing stories have always had a big place in my heart. After spending years making my documentary, I really felt like there was hole in the genre that needed to be filled. Similar to what Friday Night Lights did for a football town, I’m interested in showing where our boxing legends started, the community that molds them, and the push and pull between the sport and the world outside of the ring when financial gains are not yet in the equation.”
The documentary, also produced by Common, released last November from Fox Sports. Check out the trailer below to familiarize a bit.
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