Big George Foreman: Trailer, release date, and everything we know so far

Sony Pictures Entertainment recently dropped the first trailer for its upcoming movie, Big George Foreman. The biopic will center around former boxer George Foreman and is expected to chronicle his rise to fame from humble beginnings, falling from grace after a tough match, retirement to pursue Christianity, and a glorious comeback.

Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World or simply Big George Foreman has been helmed by George Tillman Jr. The Black Reel Award nominee is known for his work in Soul Food (1997) and Notorious (2009), among many others.

According to IMDb, its synopsis reads:

“Follow Foreman’s remarkable life and times, from Olympic Gold medalist to World Heavyweight champion, from the Rumble in the Jungle fight with Muhammad Ali in Zaire to finding his faith, retiring, and becoming a preacher. When financial hardship hits his family and church, he steps back into the ring and regains the championship at age 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history.”

Originally titled Heard of a Lion, Big George Foreman will star Khris Davis in the titular character. This is Davis' 6th film, as he was last seen in Judas and the Black Messiah and Space Jam: A New Legacy, both 2021 releases.

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What can we get to know from the Big George Foreman trailer?

The trailer, lasting 2:49 minutes, starts with Foreman punching a bag with force as his coach Doc Broadus (Oscar winner Forest Whitaker) asks him to “punch like [he's] never seen.”

Eventually, Foreman manages to knock down a punching bag, surprising his co-trainees. We then see Whitaker’s character telling Foreman that “in every battle, the greatest foe we will combat is here,” placing his right hand on his protégé’s forehead, underlining the saying that “your mind is the greatest enemy.”

As the trailer progresses, we witness Foreman’s troubled childhood mired in scarcity and bullying, as well as a raging fire inside him and his refusal to bow down to adversity. This admittedly lights up the gloomy premise.

The clip further covers his iconic fight with boxing legend and one-time rival Muhammad Ali, the knockout match against skilled boxer Jimmy Young, which pushes him to hang up his boots and take up spirituality, and his comeback after a brutal realization.

Aided by Nas’ If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) as a background score, the trailer will surely arrest your attention and raise hopes of an immersive cinematic experience.

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Cast, release date, and other details

Big George Foreman, slated to hit theaters on April 28, 2023, will compete against Lee Cronin-directed Evil Dead Rise and Lionsgate-backed coming-of-age comedy-drama Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret in the ticket window.

To note, the sports biopic has faced a series of release backlogs, as its eventual premiere date was September 16, 2022, which got postponed to March 24, 2023. Sony finally decided on an April theatrical outing.

Apart from Davis and Whitaker, the cast includes:

• Jasmine Mathews as Foreman’s wife
• John Magaro
• Sullivan Jones as Muhammad Ali
• Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
• Sonja Sohn
• Shein Mompremier

The writing team comprises Dan Gordon, Frank Baldwin, and Tillman Jr., while Big George Foreman has been bankrolled by Affirm Films and Mandalay Pictures.

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Apart from being the main man, Foreman is also attached to the venture as an executive producer along with Wendy Williams, Peter Guber, and Henry Holmes.

Big George Foreman will hit the cinema halls on Friday, April 28, 2023.