Progress is on the menu this week for the upcoming Kimbo Slice biopic that was announced late last year. Word from Anthony D’Alessandro at Deadline is exclusively revealing on Monday that actor Winston Duke will covet the title role for Backyard Legend, from Bee Holder Productions and Webros Entertainment.
The film is being penned by Andy Weiss (White Boy Rick) whose screeplay will center on the late Bahamian-born street fighter who rose from homelessness to internet fame and ultimately professional fighting success. Apart from winning in the ring, Slice also faced ailments dealing with high blood pressure and even took medication. His last fight was a win against Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris at Bellator 149 in Houston before passing away in June 2016.
Slice also brought his fisticuffs to the screen for a few acting credits of his own in films like Blood And Bone and The Scorpion King: Battle For Redemption.
Duke shared the spotlight as M’Baku with two monumental big screen successes in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and the Russos’ Avengers: Infinity War. He will also executive produce next to Kimbo’s long time friend, manager and employer Michael Imber, whose screen counterpart to portray him remains pending.
Bee Holder Productions’ Steve Lee Jones and Webros’ Michael J. Weiss are producing.
via Deadline:
Jones says, “It’s a rich and layered tale about this man’s incredible journey from a poor neighborhood in Miami to becoming a worldwide phenomenon. We are ecstatic that Winston has decided to take on this both physically and emotionally challenging role. We simply could not find a better Kimbo!”
Duke adds “I’m looking forward to exploring Kimbo’s story and interrogating the expectations society places on men like him who are their own special breed of hero.”
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