The UFC will be the subject of a new movie starring Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, US) and Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass).
According to a report from Variety, the film “follows the journeys of two fighters who find themselves competing against each other in the Octagon. One is a young woman (Moretz) whose life is changed forever when she discovers her passion for the UFC, while the other is a former champion (Nyong’o) who is determined to reclaim her title by reinventing herself. Both want the same thing — respect — but only one can come out on top.”
Two-time UFC strawweight world champion ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas will serve as a fight consultant and executive producer on the film. Written by Paul Harrill, ‘Strawweight’ will be the feature directorial debut of James M. Johnston, who previously worked as a second-unit director on A24’s ‘The Green Knight’ released in 2021.
It is unclear if the movie will be theatrically released or go straight to streaming.
Nyong’o will feature as the lead actress in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ scheduled to be released on June 28. She has previously appeared in both of Marvel’s critically acclaimed ‘Black Panther’ films and she took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 for her role in ’12 Years a Slave.’
Her co-star — Chloe Grace Moretz — is no stranger to action, having co-starred in the 2010 comic-book-based flick ‘Kick-Ass.’ Moretz, who was only 12 years old at the time, played Mindy McCready aka Hit-Girl in the film. Moretz’s performance was heavily praised by critics and played a big role in the film earning nearly $100 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.
She also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s 2011 love-letter to movies — ‘Hugo’ — and played the title role in the 2013 remake of Stephen King’s seminal horror novel ‘Carrie.’
No release date has been announced.