Some directors have their niches and genres that they like to focus on, while others are free to move around and do all sorts of projects. It is hard to think of a better example of the latter than Danny Boyle, the British director who can do everything: sci-fi (Sunshine), horror (28 Days Later), family drama (Millions) and inspirational true story (127 Hours). He’s pretty much done it all and now, he’s looking to add sports biopic to that eclectic list.
Reports are surfacing that say Boyle may be reuniting with his Oscar-winning team from Slumdog Millionaire – producer Christian Colson and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy – for a biopic of tennis icon Billie Jean King. According to the New York Post’s Page Six column, Boyle was in town to meet with King to discuss his involvement with the project, which will focus on King’s “Battles of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs.
That 1973 match had Riggs, a 55-year-old ex-Wimbledon champion exclaiming that he could defeat any female tennis player. King took him up on that challenge to prove to Riggs, who had made several misogynistic comments about female athletes, who the king of the court really was. King’s performance during the match was later seen as a huge influence on getting more young girls hooked on playing sports, especially tennis.
Sports biopics are becoming very popular projects for noteworthy directors to pursue. Ron Howard saw a lot of acclaim for Rush, while Ang Lee is developing a film about Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. With such talent behind this project as well as King’s involvement and blessing, this could be another winner for Boyle and Beaufoy. The two worked on Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, which were both inspirational stories about adversity and achievement. Meanwhile, King’s story has been the subject of various documentaries, as well as a 2001 TV movie starring Holly Hunter.
Tell us, are you eager to see Danny Boyle switch genres once again and tackle a sports biopic? Let us know in the comments section below.
