Bruce Willis is set to play famed boxing trainer Cus D’Amato in the new drama “Cornerman,” about discovering Mike Tyson.
The casting was announced on Monday morning, just before the kickoff of the 71st Cannes Film Festival.
The film will be made by “Homeland” actor Rupert Friend, marking his debut in the director’s chair.
“Cornerman” is set in the 1980s New York, as it chronicles how D’Amato went from training some of the boxing world’s biggest champions to finding a 13-year-old Tyson. That role has not yet been cast.
The movie will start shooting in the fall.
“Ultimately, this is a story about a deep love between two ferocious talents, each brave enough to admit their fears to the other, and so spur one another to greatness,” Friend said in a statement. “It is a story about fighting for what you believe in, and a film that will make you question what strength really is.”
CAA will handle U.S. rights for the film, with IMR International overseeing foreign territories.