No casting news as of yet for King Hippo, but semi-retired boxer Mike Tyson, better known these days for his tribal facial tattoo and a taste for human ear, says that his friend Jamie Foxx will take on his life story in a theatrical biopic…

“I have a movie on the verge of happening, probably in two years from now,” Tyson, 41, said Thursday before giving a speech at the Summit View Youth Correctional Facility in North Las Vegas. “Me and Jamie Foxx are going to do a collaboration. He’s going to play me in my life story. We’ve talked about it many times.”

Some news outlets are expressing doubt over this casting rumor, and being that Tyson once told a man he was going to eat his babies and didn’t (wimp), that’s understandable. But this project did not suddenly go POOF! in Tyson’s head. Foxx even lauded its potential to the press when doing the rounds for Jarhead, telling About.com…

…I think the Mike Tyson story is the most interesting thing. I think that’s the most interesting story that you don’t know. Nobody knows the stuff that I know. The stuff that I found out. It would blow your mind. Mike Tyson gives you phrases that if you listen to it, it’ll blow your mind.

They said, ‘Mike, how do you feel?’ and he said (imitating Tyson’s voice) ‘I’m happy. I’m more happy now I don’t have any money.’ And they said, ‘Why Michael?’ [As Tyson] ‘I don’t have to worry about anything. I’m just here.’ And it was an Interview, I don’t know if you saw it, and he was with a kid. And he was teaching the kid how to box. He stopped and said, ‘I’m so happy. I’m so glad I don’t have any more money so I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Nobody has to do me wrong. Nobody has to, you know, F me over. I’m just glad.’

I said, ‘That’s where you go.’

As much as I look forward to seeing Foxx guest on Conan O’Brien’s show, I’m not a big fan of his dramatic work, especially in Miami Vice. This role offers just the right amount of crazy for Foxx to perfect it, and if ever the world of boxing had a figure with a Charles Manson-like ability to establish fear, not just in his opponents, but in millions of kids, it was Iron Mike. It’s quite an epic story. But really, I just want to see Foxx as Mike acting a fool as he plays Mike Tyson’s Punch Out for the first time on an NES. This could work.

Discuss: Who better than Foxx to play Tyson in your estimation? And is there another boxer with a better story arch more deserving of a film? Did you ever beat Mike Tyson in NES Punch Out? Also, remember that time Tyson actually (as in really) slapped Robert Downey Jr. in James Toback’s Black and White? 

Source Link: RJ