Amy Adams is in negotiations to join the cast of “The Fighter,” a boxing drama once under the aegis of Darren Aronofsky and now to be directed by mercurial filmmaker David O. Russell.
Adams will play Charlene, a tough, gritty bartender who ends up dating Mark Wahlberg’s character, Micky Ward, the film’s protagonist whose rise from the streets of Lowell, Massachusetts to the world lightweight boxing champion will drive the story.
Also already on board are Christian Bale, who plays Ward’s half brother and trainer Dickie Eklund, and Melissa Leo, who will play the brothers’ mother. That’s a sweet cast of A-listers. Bale recently said in an interview that the film was just weeks away from shooting and the trades confirm this reporting the film is set to begin production this summer.
Project is shaping up very nicely, and it’s been a long time coming. The picture was first announced — with Matt Damon in the lead part (now taken by Bale) — in February of 2007. Damon left the project and Brad Pitt took over for Damon in Sept. ’07, but eventually dropped out in the fall of last year. Afterwards, the project seemed to be up in the air, but finally came together in April when O. Russell stepped in for Aronofsky and Bale took the lead role. We wrote a fairly lengthy review of the excellent script last year. Consider it now at the top of our Most Anticipated 2010 list. Can’t wait.
Many are still asking as a side note though: what’s happening with O. Russell’s political satire, “Nailed.” From all we’ve heard, nothing. So don’t hold your breath. [Variety]