It’s finally confirmed now. There’s going to be a Mike Tyson biopic with none other than Jamie Foxx taking up the lead role!
Appearing on Instagram Live for an interview with Hollywood producer Mark Birnbaum on Thursday, the 52-year-old actor, musician, comedian and producer confirmed the project has been given the green light after casting was first announced in 2014, CNN reports.
“It’s a definitive yes,” he said. “Doing biographies is a tough thing. Sometimes it takes 20 years to get it done but we officially got the real ball rolling.”
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“I can’t wait to show people what it is.”
Foxx, who is well known for his impersonation prowess, famously portrayed legendary musician Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic, Ray. The movie’s success earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor the following year, which he won.
Somewhere in the interview with Birnbaum, Foxx spoke about his relationship with the legendary boxer and what the upcoming movie is going to entail.
“I saw him at the height of his career, and then when things got bad and bumpy I also saw him as well. So what I’m excited about the movie is to show those moments,” he said. “I think everyone, young and old, will be able to understand this man’s journey.”
An enthusiastic Foxx also revealed he has started getting in shape for the movie, showing a photo of his bulked-up body as well as dropping his daily exercise regime, which he said involves 60 pull-ups, 60 dips and 100 push-ups. He later shared photos of his transformation on Instagram.
“We’re just changing the body,” he said. “We will be 216 pounds when we shoot, and then we’ll balloon to 225, 230—which will look like 250 onscreen.”
He added: “The technology of how I’m going to look, I guarantee you people will run up on me in the street and ask for autographs and think that I’m Mike.”
Take a look at the photos below:
Foxx’s announcement comes after a video of him impersonating Tyson and describing the movie’s opening scene went viral on social media.
Jamie Foxx is going to star in the Mike Tyson biopic. Here's Foxx describing the opening scene of the movie. ?pic.twitter.com/A69mR99cML
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 19, 2020
Watch the full interview below:
