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Photo Courtesy of Eli Reed/Universal Studios

Russell Crowe to Star in New Movie Based on the Life of Boxer Jim Braddock

Academy Award®-winning producer Brian Grazer, director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (all Oscar® winners for 2001's A Beautiful Mind) are reunited with Oscar® winner Russell Crowe for Universal Pictures-Miramax Films-Imagine Entertainment's Cinderella Man. Starring opposite Crowe is Oscar® winner Renée Zellweger.

Crowe stars in the story inspired by the life of legendary athlete Jim Braddock, a once-promising light heavyweight boxer forced into retirement after a string of losses in the ring. As the nation enters the darkest years of the Great Depression, Braddock accepts a string of dead-end jobs to support his wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger), and their children, while never totally abandoning his dream of boxing again.

Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, Braddock finds himself back in the ring against the second-ranked world contender-and to everyone's amazement, Braddock wins in the third round. Despite being pounds lighter than his opponents and repeated injuries to his hands, Braddock continues to fight against challengers and win. Carrying on his shoulders the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised, Braddock, dubbed the "Cinderella Man," faces his toughest challenger in Max Baer (Craig Bierko), the heavyweight champion of the world, renowned for having killed two men in the ring.

Braddock-not so much a great boxer as a great man who boxed-climbed into the ring seeking nothing more than to provide for his wife and children. His commitment to them inspired him to championship, elevating the family man with a simple cause to the level of legend.

Cinderella Man stars Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Bruce McGill and Paddy Considine; and is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Penny Marshall. The screenplay is by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman, from a story by Hollingsworth. The film is directed by Ron Howard. The film is a Universal Pictures / Miramax Films / Imagine Entertainment presentation of a Brian Grazer Production in association with Parkway Productions, with Universal Pictures distributing domestically and Buena Vista International handling the international distribution of the film for Miramax.