Christian Bale and director David O. Russell are poised to join Mark Wahlberg in the film The Fighter.
The picture is hoping to begin production in July, though it was stressed that the principals’ deals are still being negotiated.
The film is about Boston fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward and how he was helped to the world lightweight championship by half-brother Dicky Eklund. Eklund once decked Sugar Ray Leonard and went the distance against the boxing legend before forfeiting his career to drugs and crime. He redeemed himself by training Ward through his Rocky-like run to the title.
The project first came together with Boston natives Wahlberg and Matt Damon to star and Darren Aronofsky directing. Damon dropped out and Brad Pitt was going to replace him, but the picture still stalled. Then Aronofsky moved on.
Meanwhile, Wahlberg has continued to train for the film and is in fighting shape.
Most recent script drafts were by Scott Silver and Lewis Colick (who rewrote the upcoming Zac Efron vehicle The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud).
Wahlberg will play Ward, a fighter who was losing bouts and was ready to hang up the gloves when his brother came back into his life. Bale will play Eklund, whose drugs and robbery spree drew him a 10 to 15 year sentence in state prison. There, he kicked drugs, became a model prisoner and emerged as a changed man who helped his brother reach the glory that eluded him.
Russell is once again re-teaming with Wahlberg who also worked together on Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees.
Bale, who next stars in McG’s Terminator: Salvation and Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, will be working with Russell for the first time.
On top of The Fighter, Russell has signed on for two other projects in recent weeks; Aaron and Sarah and The Silver Linings Playbook.
source: Variety.
