Last year, it was Southpaw and the rather excellent Creed that enthralled the moviegoing masses, but 2016 is cooking up a one-two punch of its own. Before Miles Teller learns to Bleed For This in November, it is Edgar Ramirez who will step into the ring for Hands of Stone, The Weinstein Company’s starry biopic that finds Robert De Niro in the role of accomplished trainer, Ray Arcel.
De Niro, who so brilliantly captured the imagination of a generation in Raging Bull, will find himself on the other side of the ropes in Jonathan Jakubowicz’s feature. It’s one he wrote and directed, too, chronicling the inspired journey of Panamanian boxer, Roberto Durån.
Celebrated as one of the finest fighters the sport has ever produced, Edgar Ramirez will don the boxing gloves in TWC’s feature film, as it charts Durån’s rise and rise to the tip-top of the boxing hierarchy, even toppling Sugar Ray Leonard (singer-songwriter Usher Raymond) before ultimately hanging up his gloves in 2002 at 50 years young. Ellen Barkin, Ruben Blades and Knock Knock star Ana de Armas round out the ensemble.
Hands of Stone hits theaters on August 26.
HANDS OF STONE follows the life of Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez), the Panamanian fighter who made his professional debut in 1968 as a 16 year‐old and retired in 2002 at the age of 50. In June 1980, he defeated Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) to capture the WBC welterweight title, but shocked the boxing world by returning to his corner in their November rematch, famously saying the words “no mas” (no more).
