Jamie Foxx continues to demonstrate his commitment to portraying boxing legends on screen, with Netflix announcing that the Oscar-winning actor will star in “Fight for ’84,” a powerful sports drama that explores one of the darkest chapters in American Olympic history.
The streaming giant confirmed that production is underway on the project, which chronicles the aftermath of the devastating 1980 plane crash that claimed the lives of 22 members of the USA amateur boxing team.
The Polish IL-62 jetliner went down just half a mile from Warsaw’s Okecie Airport on March 14, 1980, killing 77 people total. Among the victims were fourteen boxers and eight staff members who were traveling from New York to compete in dual events in Cracow and Katowice.
The series will follow a new coach brought in to rebuild the shattered program from the ground up, ultimately leading the reconstructed team to an unprecedented triumph at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where they would win more medals than any American boxing team in Olympic history.
Foxx’s involvement in the project demonstrates his deep connection to the sport of boxing, though his relationship with the boxing world hasn’t always been smooth. The 57-year-old actor recently shared a nerve-wracking encounter from early in his career that occurred three decades before he would be cast to portray another boxing icon.
“I’ve known Mike for years, bro. I was doing stand-up comedy in 1988, and I’m killing in the hood,” Foxx recalled when speaking to LAD this week. “So, I’m in the club, I get to my Mike Tyson joke, nobody laughs, because Mike is in the audience.”
The situation escalated when someone in Tyson’s entourage called out to the room, leaving Foxx visibly anxious. “The same dude yelled out, ‘Mike said to do the joke, but it better be funny’. So, the whole club goes from looking at Mike Tyson to looking at me,” Foxx continued.
Fortunately, the comedian managed to land the joke successfully, receiving a standing ovation. Tyson approached him afterward, saying: “There he is, come here. You’re so crazy, I like how you talk up there, you’re gonna be great. You made me laugh, you didn’t make me angry because you know what I do when I get angry, so come with me.”
The encounter led to an impromptu ride in Tyson’s Lamborghini truck. “I was basically like his jester. He was like, ‘Make me laugh’, and I was like ‘Knock, knock’,” Foxx remembered.
That early encounter would eventually lead to Foxx being cast as Tyson in the biographical drama “Finding Mike,” first announced in 2015. The actor underwent an intensive training regimen to physically transform into the heavyweight champion, sharing photographs on Instagram in 2021 that showed his impressive muscular development. The production plans to use CGI technology similar to that employed in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” to portray Tyson’s younger years, with Martin Scorsese attached to direct.
Tyson has expressed enthusiasm about Foxx’s casting, stating, “He can do a great job I know that. I’m very grateful. I’m very excited about it.”
However, the “Finding Mike” project has faced significant delays due to Foxx’s health challenges. The actor experienced a stroke that resulted in a brain bleed, requiring him to take extended time away from the entertainment industry.
Despite these setbacks, Foxx has made a remarkable recovery and returned to work. With “Fight for ’84” now in production, Foxx will have the opportunity to honor the memory of those lost in the 1980 tragedy while telling an inspiring story of resilience and redemption.
