Thread: Al Pacino to star in new Roberto Duran film.?

Gael Garcia Bernal made a weird venture into mainstream romantic comedies earlier this year with Letters to Juliet, but the Mexican actor famous for Y Tu Mama Tambien and The Motorcycle Diaries still seems to have a reasonably good head on his shoulders when it comes to picking new projects. According to The Wrap, Bernal is now set to star in Hands of Stone, a biopic about the boxer Roberto Duran. The project will be written, directed and produced by Venezuelan filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz, who had this to say about his film's subject:

¨Roberto Duran is not only the best lightweight of all time, he's also an inspiration for oppressed people around the world, and a legendary hero for those who believe a culture's honor can be fought in the ring."


Roberto Duran Bio Film in the Works - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Al Pacino is considering the role of trainer Ray Arcel, who prepared Duran for a series of bouts against Sugar Ray Leonard in the 1980s, including the famous "No Mas" bout in 1980, when Leonard bested Duran. Ben Silverman, the onetime head of programming at NBC, will be producing the film in what he says is an active attempt to tap into the Hispanic market:

"This is a big opportunity. The Latin American population over-indexes in terms of sports and boxing. There's a lot of momentum around the script that Jonathan wrote."


If we've learned anything from boxing movies in the past, from Raging Bull to this year's The Fighter, a strong central performance is what it takes to make these things succeed. Bernal is known for being more slight and insanely handsome than a tough as nails boxer, but these movies are almost always as much about the actor's transformation off the screen than whatever happens in the movie itself. The film isn't officially greenlit yet, but I'd imagine Bernal is already getting very, very familiar with the interior of a gym right now.

OMG. This news has just made my day. If there's one film of a boxer I could ever want to watch it would be of roberto duran.I hope it does the great man justice. His book was great also.

What will be the title of the movie?

No Mas?

"No mas Yeyo, No mas maeyn"

I'm kiddin

bet it wont be a big budget film & goes under the radar?

Originally Posted by paddy448

OMG. This news has just made my day. If there's one film of a boxer I could ever want to watch it would be of roberto duran.I hope it does the great man justice. His book was great also.

It is a very good book.Hopefully they can stick to that rather than adding some B.S. to fluff it up. Then again you really wouldn't need to add anything if you stick to Duran's life story there is plenty there for even a six hour film. As for Pacino playing Arcel it would be a little odd being as Arcel was more of a quiet and reserved guy. Pacino is the exact opposite loud, charasmatic.

Originally Posted by Drago

bet it wont be a big budget film & goes under the radar?

Uh? Al Pacino gets something like $10 Million a film. The story rights for "Roberto Duran" would have to be at least $5 Million. The title would be "Hands of Stone" unless they are planning to cast the rest of the movie with unknowns, the budget for this film would be at least $40 Million and that would be conservative.

Hands of Stone (2012) - IMDb

Originally Posted by The Fightfan

Originally Posted by paddy448

OMG. This news has just made my day. If there's one film of a boxer I could ever want to watch it would be of roberto duran.I hope it does the great man justice. His book was great also.

It is a very good book.Hopefully they can stick to that rather than adding some B.S. to fluff it up. Then again you really wouldn't need to add anything if you stick to Duran's life story there is plenty there for even a six
hour film. As for Pacino playing Arcel it would be a little
odd being as Arcel was more of a quiet and reserved
guy. Pacino is the exact opposite loud,
charasmatic.

I hear ya. I'm sure a great actor like Pacino can adjust to the role tho. Like you say I hope they don't add aload of BS to the film, if they keep it real, Durans true life and career is enough for an absolute blockbuster. I always use to wish they'd make a film about my favourite ever fighter, and now it looks like a reality. Absolutely Buzzin, can't wait for this.

How good would a film bio be on the life of Carlos Monzon?

I wonder who will play as Leonard.

I just want Pacino to utter this line in the biopic.

Originally Posted by generalbulldog

I just want Pacino to utter this line in the biopic.

quality

Originally Posted by fan johnny

Originally Posted by Drago

bet it wont be a big budget film & goes under the radar?

Uh? Al Pacino gets something like $10 Million a film. The story rights for "Roberto Duran" would have to be at least $5 Million. The title would be "Hands of Stone" unless they are planning to cast the rest of the movie with unknowns, the budget for this film would be at least $40 Million and that would be conservative.

Hands of Stone (2012) - IMDb

sorry was being lazy didnt read the link so dunno what i was talking abt, wonder if success of the fighter will increase interest in this new film?

One of my fave fighters of all time.....should be a good flick

Originally Posted by - N8 -

I wonder who will play as Leonard.

Vivian Harris

Never really like boxing films bar Raging Bull.