Biopics. They're all the rage. James Brown is about to hit theaters. Richard Pryor is stirring back to life. And now “Iron” Mike Tyson himself will be coming to the big screen, courtesy of Jamie Foxx.
Dodgy source, but the Daily Mirror first reported that the actor, who won an Oscar in 2005 for portraying Ray Charles in Taylor Hackford's “Ray,” will play the boxing legend in an untitled biopic. Tyson told the outlet that Foxx would in fact play him as a younger man, too, through “this new animation…this new system.” So, what, are we talking “Benjamin Button” stuff here?
Variety further reported that the project will be penned by “The Wolf of Wall Street” screenwriter Terence Winter. Foxx's manager, Rick Yorn, will produce.
There is no studio yet but I imagine someone will bite sooner or later. Obviously Tyson's life is rife with juicy details for the silver screen treatment. His story was previously told in the 1995 HBO original movie “Tyson,” which was one of the first major outings for actor Michael Jai White in the lead role.
It makes sense that interest would bubble back up now, right on the heels of Tyson's one-man show in Las Vegas and on Broadway, which was directed by Spike Lee. But Foxx has wanted to make this film for years. Back in 2009 he told MTV that he was hoping to reunite with Hackford on the project. One wonders, though, if Lee might be a possibility, given the recent history. Tyson's memoir, “Undisputed Truth,” also made the New york Times bestseller list last year.
More as it unfolds, but tell us what you think. Is Jamie Foxx a good choice for a larger-than-life role such as this?