Jamie Foxx has been in enterprise with Netflix for someday now, as he’s starred in a number of of the streamer’s movies and has even produced a comedy particular for the corporate, too. Nicely, following the success of Again in Motion, which hit No. 1 on the platform earlier this yr, Foxx has set his subsequent collaboration with the model. The Oscar winner is about to headline a sports activities biopic that sounds each tragic and inspirational. For sure, after studying the premise for this movie, I’m already in my emotions about it.
Cameras at the moment are rolling on the sports activities drama Battle for ‘84, which is at present in manufacturing in New Jersey. In keeping with Deadline, the Jamie Foxx-fronted flick is about within the aftermath of a airplane crash that kills the U.S. Olympic Group in 1980. A brand new coach is then introduced in to assist reform the squad and, ultimately, that group goes on to have a record-setting run on the 1984 Summer time Olympics. Now, if that story doesn’t a minimum of make an individual just a little bit misty-eyed, then I truthfully don’t know what’s going to.
The film is being directed by Andrés Baiz, a Colombian filmmaker who additionally helmed episodes of Narcos, The Sandman and Griselda, which had been hits amongst Netflix subscription holders. Baiz has additionally assembled an ensemble solid to hitch the Collateral star in Battle for ‘84. Among the many solid are Malachi Beasley, Shea Whigham, Will Chase, Dan Perrault, Mitchell Edwards, Algee Smith, Tre McBride, Xavier Mills, Al-Shabazz Jabateh and Javier Bolaños. All in all, it seems this can be a mixture of up-and-coming stars and seasoned veterans.
In fact, this received’t be the primary time that Jamie Foxx could have participated in a sports activities drama or perhaps a biopic centered round athletics. Foxx famously performed the function of quarterback Willie “Steamin” Beamen in Oliver Stone’s 1999 movie Any Given Sunday. And, in 2001, Foxx appeared as Drew Bundini Brown in Ali, which was directed by Michael Mann. (I’d argue that Foxx ought to’ve received an Oscar for his portrayal of Bundini.)
It’s most likely a foregone conclusion that Andrés Baiz desires to hit viewers of their feels along with his upcoming boxing drama. What I’m interested by is simply how uncooked the filmmaker plans to get when telling this story of tragedy and triumph. Contemplating the work he did on these beforehand talked about TV exhibits, I wouldn’t be stunned if he crafts a compelling story with robust performances.
From a enterprise perspective, in fact, this marks one more chapter in what’s seemingly been a fruitful partnership between Jamie Foxx and Netflix. The previous couple of years have seen the 2 events group up for Again in Motion, Day Shift and (the critically acclaimed) They Cloned Tyrone. In 2024, the streamer additionally launched Foxx’s comedy particular, What Had Occurred Was…, wherein debuted to large numbers. It was in that particular that Foxx opened up in regards to the medical emergency he skilled in 2023, which he revealed was a mind bleed that led to a stroke.
Foxx is an extremely multi-faceted actor and, whereas he’s significantly recognized for his comedic prowess, he can positively maintain his personal in any drama. The Academy Award he received for Ray alone is sufficient to again up that assertion. As a sports activities fan and as somebody who enjoys Foxx’s work, I look ahead to seeing what he delivers in Battle for ‘84. A launch window has but to be introduced, however right here’s hoping it arrives amid the 2026 film schedule.
