David Jonsson, Joshua Maynard, Nathalie Emmanuel and O-T Fagbenle To Star In Benn/Eubank’ Feature
Director David Harewood’s upcoming boxing feature “Benn/Eubank” has found its fighters.
David Jonsson (“Industry”) will play British boxing legend Chris Eubank while Joshua Maynard (“That Dirty Black Bag”) is set to star as his longtime rival Nigel Benn.
“Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emannuel will play Benn’s wife Sharon and O-T Fagbenle (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) has been cast as legendary boxing manager Ambrose Mendy.
Harewood will also star as Eubank’s mentor, Adonis.
Fulwell 73 (“Cinderella,” “Mary’s Monster”) are producing “Benn/Eubank,” while AMP is repping international distribution with sales launching in Cannes.
The film will tell the story of when two of Britain’s best boxers came face to face in the ring to battle for the World Boxing Organization middleweight title in November 1990. Their meeting has been called the greatest fight ever fought on British soil. At the time, Benn, a former soldier and already known the world over for his skill, was believed to be the favorite to defend his title.
Eubank was an unknown sparring to take his crown.
Daniel Harris (“House of Flying Arrows”), Kieron Hawkes (“Intergalactic”) and Belinda Joanne Ampah have written the screenplay. Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood will produce for Fulwell 73 and Daniel Harris will also serve as executive producer.
Leo Davis (“The Queen”) and Lissy Holm (“Victoria & Abdul”) are on board as casting directors.
“Unleashing the vulnerability, unleashing the spirit and charisma of Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, ‘Benn/Eubank’ will show what lies behind the bombastic moments of one of the most exciting fights of my lifetime,” said Harewood. “Their stories demand telling in full, and while they cannot be wholly known without each other, they are also much more than each other. Also, this is my story, as a young man I suffered from psychosis, and there were elements of that which I have in common with both Nigel and Chris and which still affect young Black men today. I hope it will be a thrilling, moving and educational experience for audiences around the world, exploring brotherhood, the blurred line between love and hate, and our universal quest for belonging.”
Greenwood added: “There have never been two boxers or two characters like Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn: they are unique, and whether considered individually or together they tell profound truths about our society and our time. I am delighted that Fulwell 73 has brought together a young and exciting cast, under the direction of the amazing David Harewood, that can shine a light on the real men behind their public personas and the world that shaped them.”
