When rapper Eminem made his critically acclaimed film debut in the 2002 semi-autobiographical drama 8 Mile, it appeared a future in cinema beckoned. Yesterday, almost a decade after the musician filmed his scenes for Curtis Hanson's movie, it was announced that he is to return to the big screen for only the second time in a leading role, as a struggling boxer.
Southpaw will star Eminem as a left-handed welterweight whose career suffers when tragedy strikes. The film will reportedly follow his fight to reclaim glory and win back his young daughter. Like 8 Mile, it will include elements drawn from the rapper's own life – his real name is Marshall Mathers – though it is not a biopic.
Screenwriter Kurt Sutter, who writes the US television series Sons of Anarchy, told MTV News he was approaching the story as a "metaphorical biography of the second chapter of [Eminem's] life".
"I took meetings with Marshall's producing partners over the past seven years, looking for something to do together," said Sutter. "I know he's very selective and doesn't do a lot. But he shared so much of his personal struggle in this raw and very honest album, one that I connected with on a lot of levels. He is very interested in the boxing genre, and it seemed like an apt metaphor, because his own life has been a brawl."
Sutter added: "I love that the title refers to Marshall being a lefty, which is to boxing what a white rapper is to hip-hop; dangerous, unwanted and completely unorthodox. It's a much harder road for a southpaw than a right-handed boxer."
Eminem is also attached to another film project titled Shady Talez, reportedly a 3D horror movie. Dreamworks Studios will finance Southpaw.
