Oscar winner Forest Whitaker is in negotiations to star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Antoine Fuqua‘s boxing drama “Southpaw,” multiple individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.
A representative for The Weinstein Company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gyllenhaal is set to play Billy “The Great” Hope, a left-handed prizefighter who wins a title but suffers a tragedy soon after and must put his life back together to earn the respect of his young daughter.
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Whitaker is making a deal to play the other lead of Titus ‘Tick’ Willis, a former fighter who was forced to retire after losing an eye and now trains amateur fighters.