MGM brings the story of boxing champion Claressa Shields to the big screen in “The Fire Inside,” a biopic due out on Christmas Day. The film stars “Grown-ish” star Ryan Destiny as Shields and is directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison in her feature directorial debut.
Destiny demands the viewer’s attention in the movie’s first trailer. The film tells the story of Shields’ journey from her hometown of Flint, Michigan, to the Olympics — and what happened after her success, when she was forced to grapple with the pressure of providing for her family.
Shields, who at 17 as the youngest boxer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, won gold medals at both the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She was also the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing at the Games.
She went pro after the 2016 Games and joined the Professional Fighters League...
Destiny demands the viewer’s attention in the movie’s first trailer. The film tells the story of Shields’ journey from her hometown of Flint, Michigan, to the Olympics — and what happened after her success, when she was forced to grapple with the pressure of providing for her family.
Shields, who at 17 as the youngest boxer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, won gold medals at both the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She was also the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing at the Games.
She went pro after the 2016 Games and joined the Professional Fighters League...
- 9/12/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
We’re only halfway through Rachel Morrison’s feature directorial debut, “The Fire Inside,” when the biopic’s subject, Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (rising actress Ryan Destiny), wins her first gold medal. And, perhaps you’re thinking, then what? Such is the thrust of the longtime cinematographer’s long-gestating directorial debut, a passion project the “Mudbound” and “Black Panther” Dp has been trying to get made for years. What happens after you reach the ostensible peak of your career?
For the real-life Shields, who won her first gold medal at the tender age of 17 at the 2012 Olympics, that question lingered for years. In Morrison’s film, scripted by her frequent collaborator Barry Jenkins, it only really sticks for the film’s second half. And while some of the concerns that take hold during that period of her life — financial, emotional, professional — are often handled in a surprisingly messy way by the normally precise Jenkins,...
For the real-life Shields, who won her first gold medal at the tender age of 17 at the 2012 Olympics, that question lingered for years. In Morrison’s film, scripted by her frequent collaborator Barry Jenkins, it only really sticks for the film’s second half. And while some of the concerns that take hold during that period of her life — financial, emotional, professional — are often handled in a surprisingly messy way by the normally precise Jenkins,...
- 9/10/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
It’s difficult to keep sending back 12-year-old Claressa Shields (Jazmin Headley) when she’s got more fight in her than any of the boys he’s training, but that’s what Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) knows. Girls don’t box. So, he tells her she can stay and do some drills—he’s not going to kick her out. Jason just doesn’t want her to mimic the boys in his lessons and get her hopes up that something more will come of it. Until he finally recognizes that gender doesn’t play into desire. If Claressa is going to box anyway, why not protect her from her opponents instead of a populace too narrow-minded to consider she might be a champion?
What first-time director Rachel Morrison (Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Mudbound) and screenwriter Barry Jenkins understand about Shields’ story, however, is that the epiphany Jason comes to is hard-won.
What first-time director Rachel Morrison (Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Mudbound) and screenwriter Barry Jenkins understand about Shields’ story, however, is that the epiphany Jason comes to is hard-won.
- 9/8/2024
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.