EXCLUSIVE: Jasmine Mathews (The Tomorrow War, The Rookie), Sonja Sohn (Star Trek: Discovery, The Wire), John Magaro (Call Jane, The Many Saints of Newark) and Shein Mompremier (Black Lightning) have joined the cast of Sony Pictures and AFFIRM Films’ untitled biopic of legendary two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman, from director George Tillman Jr. (The Hate U Give, Notorious).
They will star alongside previously announced cast members including Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.
The film will follow the remarkable life and times of Foreman, from Olympic Gold medalist to World Heavyweight champion, the Rumble in the Jungle fight with Muhammad Ali in Zaire, to finding his faith, retiring, and becoming a preacher. When financial hardship hits his family and church, he steps back in the ring and regains the championship at age 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Tillman Jr. and Frank Baldwin penned the screenplay, from an original draft by Dan Gordon, with Peter Guber and David Zelon producing for Mandalay Pictures. Details with regard to the roles the newest additions to the cast will play have not been disclosed. The film is slated for release in theaters on April 7, 2023.
Mathews most recently starred opposite Chris Pratt in Chris McKay’s sci-fi drama The Tomorrow War for Amazon. She was also recently seen in a recurring role on ABC’s The Rookie, and was previously a series regular on the Starz drama Sweetbitter, based on the bestselling book by Stephanie Danler. The actress will next star alongside Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in Patrick Hughes’ assassin pic The Man from Toronto.
Sohn’s credits include Steven Soderbergh’s High Flying Bird, Star Trek: Discovery, The Chi, Utopia, Luke Cage and the award-winning and critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. She’s next set to star opposite Mena Suvari and Dermot Mulroney in James Rowe’s thriller Breakwater.
Magaro most recently appeared in The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, Eugene Ashe’s Emmy-nominated Amazon romance Sylvie’s Love starring Tessa Thompson, and Phyllis Nagy’s Sundance pic Call Jane. The actor will soon appear in the Showtime series Super Pumped and has also featured in such series as Orange Is the New Black and The Umbrella Academy. Additional film credits include First Cow, Overlord, Marshall, War Machine, The Finest Hours, The Big Short, Carol, Captain Phillips, Not Fade Away and Liberal Arts.
Mompremier is best known for her role as Chenoa on The CW’s Black Lightning. She most recently starred in Edson Jean’s feature drama Ludi, which premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival.
Mathews is represented by Gersh and Red Letter Entertainment; Sohn by APA, and More/Medavoy Management; Magaro by Authentic Talent & Literary Management; and Mompremier by APA and Industry Entertainment.
