The rags-to-riches, come from behind boxing ring narrative has been overdone, and while nothing has come close to stealing the title away from the Jake La Motta biopic (Million Dollar Baby was crap folks), if the performances are spot on, if Russell gives this biography a different tapestry (apparently he shrunk the timeline from 30 to 3 years) then we'll gain more insight in why this originally attracted the Darren Aronofskys and the Brad Pitts).
If the film somehow retains the complex nature (narrator) of the novel, then I think we'll understand why this project which has been in the works for more than a decade. A great ensemble lead by Paul Giamatti and cameos from David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan should make this a savory blend.
Out with this year's male Oscar winner....in with this year's other male Oscar winner. According to Variety, Daniel Day-Lewis will potentially take Javier Bardem's recently renounced starring role of Guido Contini in Nine.