Paddy Considine And Mena Massoud To Star In Boxing Drama ‘Giant’ From AGC Studios; White Star Productions & Tea Shop Productions Producing

25.01.2023 - 20:35 / deadline.com

Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon, Peaky Blinders) and Mena Massoud (Aladdin, Jack Ryan) have signed on to star in the sports drama Giant, written and directed by Rowan Athale (The Rise, Gangs of London, Strange But True) with Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions on board as executive producers.

Produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions with AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, the flick is based on the true-life story 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.

The pic will follow Hamed from his 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, Naz’s 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 ’80s and 90’s Britain.

Introducing the project, Athale said: “I have wanted to bring this movie to screen for many years. The story of fabled boxing trainer Brendan Ingle and his tempestuous relationship with protege “Prince” Naseem is both legendary and truly cinematic. It’s exciting, necessary, hilarious, and heartbreaking, and to be making this movie with the incomparable Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud, and with the support of the one and only Sylvester Stallone and his Balboa Productions team, is a dream come true.”

The deal was brokered for Paddy Considine by CAA and Independent Talent Group, on behalf of Mena Massoud by Derek