Following HBO’s passing on what was to be a drama series loosely based on his boxing youth (Da Brick, directed by Spike Lee, starring John Boyega), former boxing champ Mike Tyson is reportedly developing a film on his early years in the ring, through his meteoric rise to the king of the boxing world, which he and his wife, Lakiha Spicer, will produce.
Tyson is said to be looking to cast an unknown to play him in the film, but he and wife Spicer say that they can see Kevin Spacey portraying his mentor and trainer, Cus D’Amato, and Helen Mirren as his adoptive mother, Camille Ewald… this is all according to the New York Post.
Assuming this is all fact, the film will come on the heels of Tyson’s Broadway one-man show, Undisputed Truth, which was also directed by Spike Lee, which HBO later broadcast.
Larry Sloman, who co-wrote Howard Stern’s book Private Parts and Tyson’s Undisputed Truth, is being eyed to script the film.
I should note that, for years now, Jamie Foxx has been pushing to star in a film on Tyson’s life, and Tyson had given him his blessing. Whether or not Foxx is still interested isn’t known (although he’s a little too old at this point, to play the young Tyson who became the youngest heavyweight champion ever at the age of 20).
And since, according to the New York Post report, Tyson is looking for an unknown for the part, Foxx certainly doesn’t qualify.
