I will readily admit that I actually enjoyed 8 Mile. Sure, it wasn't exactly a stretch to have Eminem play a struggling rapper growing up in Detroit and having issues with his mother, but it was a solid film and a he put on a better performance than most rappers when they first get into the movie game. Since his breakout, however, with the exception of his cameo in Funny People, Eminem hasn't made another film. Now it seems as though he's getting the bug again.
Deadline reports that Dreamworks has made a deal to acquire a project titled Southpaw, a boxing film written by Sons of Anarchy-creator Kurt Sutter that is being planned as a starring vehicle for Eminem. In the film, the rapper would play a young boxer who quickly finds success but is taken down when he is befallen by tragedy. Picking himself back up, he tries to make a go at becoming a champion once again.
A musician-turned-actor starring in a film about a boxer which a trouble personal life who has to overcome strife and his underdog status in order to become a champion - why does that seem so damn familiar? Oh, because that exact same movie is currently in limited release and titled The Fighter. While I've never watched the show personally, I've only heard good things about Sons of Anarchy, so perhaps there's something here that I'm not seeing. I certainly hope so.
