Ving Rhames Puts on Gloves for Sonny Liston Biopic
(Toronto, ON, November 2, 2007)- Principal photography has begun in Toronto on Phantom Punch which teams Ving Rhames with director Robert Townsend in bringing late boxing champ Sonny Liston’s turbulent life to the silver screen. Nick Turturro (World Trade Centre), Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (Shopgirl), and David Proval (The Sopranos) also star.
"I have always been intrigued by the story of boxing champ Sonny Liston, who is such a controversial figure in the world of sports. His is a story that deserves to be told and Ving Rhames has the passion to bring this legend back to life," says producer Hassain Zaidi of Access Motion Pictures.
Phantom Punch gets its title from the infamous match up versus Cassius Clay, where the future Mohammed Ali knocked Liston down with a “Phantom Punch” marking the decline of what had been until then a remarkable career. Discovered by a priest while serving time for robbery, Liston used his strength and talent for boxing to leave prison and earn the world heavyweight championship. More than a boxing film, Phantom Punch gives equal attention to Liston’s relationships with his wife (Alexander), his manager (Turturro) and his lover (Wilson-Sampras), and also documents his run ins with racism, the mob and the law.
“History has not been kind to Sonny Liston. We want to move him out from under the shadow of the mob or of Mohammed Ali, to humanize him and give equal focus to the man and his relationships. Ving is the perfect choice to capture both his strength and his compassion,” explains Townsend.
Based in Toronto, ON, Access Motion Pictures is dedicated to uncovering and showcasing compelling stories and bringing them to audiences around the world. Already an established name in providing gap financing for film projects, Access Motion Pictures is pleased to be taking the next step into independent film production with “Phantom Punch.”
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www.phantompunchmovie.com
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Nadia Sandhu
(O) 416-398-0903 x 282
(C) 416-839-8508
nadia@phantompunchmovie.com
upsidedownkittyPR@gmail.com
(Toronto, ON, Wednesday, November 7, 2007) - Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (Shopgirl, The Wedding Planner) and Stacey Dash (I Could Never Be Your Woman) have joined the cast of Phantom Punch, the Sonny Liston biopic starring Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Mission: Impossible). Wilson-Sampras will play the pivotal role of the former boxing champ’s lover Farah while Dash portrays Liston’s wife Geraldine.
Phantom Punch is directed by Robert Townsend (The Five Heartbeats, Carmen: A Hip Hopera) and also features character actor Nick Turturro (World Trade Centre) as Liston’s manager Caesar Novak, The Sopranos’ David Proval as mob boss Savino Gabbriello and former Canadian light heavyweight champ Troy Amos-Ross (Cinderella Man, Resurrecting the Champ) as Floyd Patterson. Production continues in Toronto through the end of November.
"I have always been intrigued by the story of boxing champ Sonny Liston, who is such a controversial figure in the world of sports. His is a story that deserves to be told and Ving Rhames has the passion to bring this legend back to life," says producer Hassain Zaidi, of Access Motion Pictures.
Phantom Punch gets its title from the infamous match up versus Cassius Clay, where the future Mohammed Ali knocked Liston down with a “Phantom Punch” marking the decline of what had been until then a short, remarkable career. Discovered by a priest while serving time for robbery, Liston used his strength and talent for boxing to leave prison and earn the world heavyweight championship. More than a boxing film, Phantom Punch gives equal attention to Liston’s relationships with his wife (Dash), his manager (Turturro) and his lover (Wilson-Sampras), and also documents his run ins with racism, the mob and the law.
Based in Toronto, ON, Access Motion Pictures is dedicated to uncovering and showcasing compelling stories and bringing them to audiences around the world. Already an established name in providing gap financing for film projects, Access Motion Pictures is pleased to be taking the next step into independent film production with “Phantom Punch.”
www.phantompunchmovie.com
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Nadia Sandhu
(O) 416-398-0903 x 282
(C) 416-839-8508
nadia@phantompunchmovie.com
upsidedownkittyPR@gmail.com