A Mike Tyson biopic has been rumored for years, but a movie now appears to be in the works. Jamie Foxx will portray the former U.S. Heavyweight boxing champ, a Brooklyn native who rose to fame during the 1980s and intimidated opponents with his presence alone. Now 53 years old, Tyson has been planning a comeback in 2020, which means that the screenplay for Foxx's biopic may not be technically complete.
Foxx was originally attached to the Tyson biopic in 2014. He later revealed that Terence Winter would write the screenplay and that Martin Scorsese would direct. In 2015, Foxx made the interview rounds and recalled befriending Tyson during the late '80s after they met at a stand-up comedy show in Los Angeles. By 2017, Foxx told Screen Rant that the boxing project was still moving forward, and that Scorsese was indeed going to direct. Three and half years later, the buzz appears to be picking up again thanks to Tyson and Foxx's recent Instagram posts. The boxer has been promoting a return to the ring, while the actor has continued to tease his role as Tyson.
Foxx won an Oscar for portraying Ray Charles in the 2004 film Ray, but hasn't headlined a mainstream hit since the Tyson rumors began a few years ago. In addition, Scorsese is currently working on his new feature, Killers of the Flower Moon, and won't be available to direct a Tyson biopic. Here's what to expect for the upcoming Foxx film that's being called Finding Mike.
Jamie Foxx's Mike Tyson Biopic Is Happening
In June 2020, Foxx confirmed that he'd been physically training for his role as Tyson. During an Instagram Live conversation with producer Mark Birnbaum, Foxx re-told the same first-meeting story that he's discussed over the years, and stated that "the real ball" is indeed rolling. The actor also shared exclusive photos of his upper body transformation, the result of an every-other-day regiment involving 60 pull-ups, 60 dips, and 100 push-ups. Foxx joked about his lack of calf muscle, and implied that prosthetics would be needed to complement his real-life training. However, the actor didn't reveal anything about the script, the director, or the production schedule.
Jamie Foxx's Mike Tyson Biopic Release Date
It remains unclear when principal photography will begin for the Tyson biopic. Foxx stated that the photos of his physical transformation were taken a couple months prior, and Birnbaum curiously notes that Foxx appeared to have lost some muscle during a recent face-to-face meeting. So, it seems likely that Foxx bulked up for promotional purposes, and that he'll need to restart his training process if filming commences later in 2020. As of now, the biopic presumably won't release until 2022 at the earliest. Foxx revealed that he'll first need to adapt his body to align with Tyson's early years, and will then need to gain weight for late-career sequences.
Jamie Foxx's Mike Tyson Movie Story Details
Foxx has been consistent over the years about his wish to convey's Tyson's "journey." He's stated during numerous interviews that he befriended Tyson during the peak of the boxer's career in the late '80s, and that he also witnessed his decline. The first half of Finding Mike will likely explore Tyson's personal and professional life prior to his 1991 arrest and subsequent imprisonment for rape. The second half of the Tyson biopic will theoretically explore his 1995 comeback and pop culture persona. Foxx has also stated that he wants to show the real Mike Tyson, and how the boxer found inner peace after the 2009 death of his four-year-old daughter, Exodus.