Eminem showed great acting ability and screen presence with his debut, “8 Mile”, which told the story of a rapper trying to compete in rap battles and get his foot in the door for some studio time.
Although the role was not much of a stretch for Eminem, he essayed it superbly and so it is good news indeed to hear that Marshall Mathers is due to return once again to our screens.
Dreamworks has picked up “Southpaw”, currently just a pitch written by Kurt Sutter (creator of TV’s Sons of Anarchy), intended to be a star vehicle for Eminem. The plot itself is hardly earth-shatteringly original, with Eminem set to play a fast-rising boxer who gains the title, only to lose it amid tragedy before seeking to rise once again. Dreamworks CEO Stacey Snider snapped the pitch up, having had first refusal due to her championing of 8 Mile while at Universal.
Sutter sees the story and genre as apt for Eminem, who has been through his own rise, fall and rise again struggles over the past few years. Sutter believes that the film works as a metaphor for this phase of Eminem’s life and even as a continuation of many of the themes of 8 Mile. He said to Deadline:-
“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 Marshall 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.”
Sutter will crack on now with the script, aiming to submit the first draft of his script by February next year.
So what do you think? Are you a big fan of Eminem? Did you like 8 Mile and are keen to see whether he can carry a film further outside his comfort zone?
