In 2008 during the Toronto Film Festival Gavin O’Connor announced the cast of his next film, a mixed martial arts drama titled Warrior. Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton started shooting in Pittsburgh. From the first words this martial arts movie script sounds like an MMA version of Rocky.
Plot: Nick Nolte plays an ex-Vietnam vet and boxer-turned-steel mill worker whose family was torn apart by his alcoholism; the now-sober and remorseful dad welcomes back his youngest son (Hardy) and trains him to compete in a MMA tournament. He and his older brother (Edgerton), who still remains estranged, end up on a collision course in the ring.
In addition, the Warrior movie also includes pro wrestler Kurt Angle, Frank Grillo as Brendan’s trainer and Jennifer Morrison. 17 key fights in the script have been choreographed by J.J. Perry, who worked on Undisputed 3 The Movie and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Tom Hardy, who by the way has just been recently cast as the main villain in the upcoming Dark Knight sequel, mostly known by gay hoodlum Handsome Bob in the Guy Ritchie film Rocknrolla and Oscar nominated movie Inception.
The movie looks like David Mamet’s Redbelt with Chiwetel Ejiofor alongside Randy Couture with fight choreography by John Machado and Dan Inosanto. Also this fighting drama reminds Never Back Down, only with better acting (read about Never Back Down 2).
Note: Amateur fighters don’t get paid, so it would be hard for him to feed his family when he doesn’t get money. This sounds like the people making it know nothing about MMA.
Release date in USA is 9 September 2011.
