Also starring Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Clare Foley, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the trailer starts out looking like any other typical boxing flick. But it quickly morphs into an edge-of-your-seat look at a hot-headed boxer struggling with tremendous loss, and trying to keep his family together. (We’ll save more details for the trailer.) Seriously, it’s enough to quite literally give you chills.
Gylenhaal obviously went into the role head on when he got the call, however, reportedly (via Deadline) putting on about 15 pounds of solid muscle in a decided physical transformation from his recent role in Nightcrawler. Interestingly, it was originally supposed to be Eminem in the lead role, with the boxing theme used as a metaphor for the rapper’s actual life struggles.
Initially, Southpaw was planned to be a follow up of sorts to the movie 8 Mile. Even the name Southpaw was chosen, in part, because of the fact that Enimem (real name Marshall Mathers) is a leftie. But the term also has a connotation in the boxing world: a left-handed boxer is considered dangerous and uncommon, in the same way a white rapper who can rhyme like Em is not the norm.
If the movie can dig as deep as the trailer, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this new Weinstein Company release in the running for Oscar contention. And Clare Foley’s turn as Gyllenhaal’s daughter reveals some serious talent which very well could lead her to becoming the next “it girl” child actor to hit the Hollywood scene.
The film was written by Kurt Sutter, the man behind Sons of Anarchy, so expect a no-holds-barred look at the world of boxing, along with plenty of blood and violence. Though Enimem won’t be acting in the flick, it’s his new song, Forgive Me Now, you hear in the trailer.
Southpaw will premiere on July 31, 2015.
