Pierce Brosnan has been cast as famed Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle in an upcoming biopic about ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed.
According to Deadline, the 70-year-old will star opposite Amir El-Masry, who will play the former featherweight champion in the film.
Titled Giant, the film’s synopsis reads: “Giant is the true story of Hamed’s humble beginnings on the tough working-class streets of Sheffield and his discovery by Ingle, himself a steel industry worker turned boxing trainer.”
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“Their unlikely partnership, along with Naz’ unorthodox style, cocky persona, and sheer dominance in the ring, propelled them to the top of boxing’s elite and unprecedented levels of global superstardom, all in the face of the rampant Islamophobia and racism of 80s and 90s Britain.”
The film, written and directed by Rowan Athale, will begin production in Leeds later this month, with Sylvester Stallone among the executive producers.
Brendan Ingle trained four world champions in total at his Wincobank gym, including Naseem, Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter, and Kell Brook.
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He passed away at the age of 77 in 2018, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
At the time of his death, Naseem said he “would not have achieved all I did in the sport of boxing” without Brendan.
