Eminem Movie "Southpaw" Back In Production

by Slava Kuperstein

MGM revitalizes Eminem-starring vehicle "Southpaw."

It appears as though MGM - with Sony Pictures distributing - has set forth the strongest bid for Southpaw, a boxing film staring Eminem directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day).
DreamWorks dropped the project in August, leaving alone what would've been Eminem's first starring vehicle since 2002's 8 Mile.
The script, written by "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter, centers around a fast-rising welterweight boxer that fights his way to the title, and must reclaim his past glory following a tragedy.
“In a way, this is a continuation of the 8 Mile story, but rather than a literal biography, we are doing a metaphorical narrative of the second chapter of his life,” said Sutter, according to deadline.com. “He’ll play a world champion boxer who really hits a hard bottom, and has to fight to win back his life for his young daughter. At its core, this is a retelling of his struggles over the last five years of his life, using the boxing analogy. I love that the title refers to [Eminem] 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.”