Pierce Brosnan And Amir El-Masry have signed on to star in the sports drama Giant from AGC Studios about the life of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his rags-to-riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.
El-Masry will play Naz, and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale (The Rise, Gangs of London, Strange But True) and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, it was announced by AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, who will also produce.
The project is set to begin shooting in Leeds, England in late April. Originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, AGC moved the pic back to the UK to utilize the country’s new Independent Film Tax Credit announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March.
AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital are financing the film. Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken UK distribution rights with AGC International handling international sales on the title. On board to executive produce are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa.
The film’s synopsis reads: Giant is the true story of Hamed’s humble beginnings on the tough working-class streets of Sheffield and his discovery by Ingle, himself a steel industry worker turned boxing trainer. Their unlikely partnership along with Naz’ unorthodox style, cocky persona, and sheer dominance in the ring, propelled them to the top of boxing’s elite and unprecedented levels of global superstardom, all in the face of the rampant Islamophobia and racism of 80’s and 90’s Britain.
“Since commissioning Rowan to write the brilliant screenplay for ‘Giant’ several years ago, we’ve been passionate about bringing this extraordinary story to the big screen,” said Ford. “Amir and Pierce will make a powerful lead duo and it’s exciting that Zygi and his team at True Brit, with their outstanding career track record in launching the best of British film to audiences, believe as fervently as we do in ‘Giant’s’ cinematic potential.”
Kamasa added: “Rowan has written a brilliantly entertaining boxing Biopic, that spotlights the incredible relationship between Hamed and his trainer Brendan Ingle and showcases the hugely entertaining style that took “Naz” to global superstardom as world featherweight champion. Dramatic, visceral, and inspiring with incredible boxing scenes, this is exactly the kind of British film audiences want to see in the cinema and we’re thrilled to be filming in the UK following the new tax credit being introduced to the industry.”
Pierce Brosnan is represented by CAA, Viewpoint and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox. Amir El-Masry is represented by Ollie Azis at Independent Talent Group and Rowan Athale is represented by Tom Lassally at 3 Arts Entertainment and Mady Niel at 42. EVP of Legal & Business Affairs Anant Tamirisa is representing AGC Studios on the project.