Rousey’s screenplay for a biopic on her life has been picked up by the streaming giant, but don’t expect her to appear in the film as an actor.
Ronda Rousey’s story is being turned into a movie, and “Rowdy” doesn’t have to worry about what that story tells because she’s the one who wrote the script.
Deadline broke the news that Netflix has closed a deal with Rousey to distribute a film based on her two memoirs, My Fight / Your Fight and Our Fight. Chernin Entertainment — known for the Planet of the Apes series, The Greatest Showman, and other major films — will produce.
This is the second kick at the can for a Rousey biopic. Paramount snapped up the rights to Ronda’s first book in 2015 but let the rights lapse. Now Netflix has stepped in, and the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion has streaming exec Michelle Evans in her corner as a major fan.
That allowed Rousey to force through an unusual demand regarding the project: that she be allowed to write the script herself (along with her sister Maria Burns Ortiz). During her promotional blitz for Our Fight, Rousey revealed that she had been getting mentored by various Endeavor executives and agents who were helping her brush up on her screenwriting skills.
When they ‘challenged’ her to write a script for her life story, she cranked it out in seven days and reportedly left everyone who read it ‘blown away’ by the quality.
While Ronda Rousey may have skills as a writer, her past acting gigs haven’t led to more starring roles. That includes this movie. The decision has been made to hire an actor to play Rousey, with casting to take place over the coming months.