The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud have signed up to star in the upcoming boxing drama Giant, which is based on the life of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed.

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The film will tell the rags-to-riches tale of Naseem Hamed, by following him through his humble beginnings on the tough working-class streets of Sheffield, to being discovered by Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, a steel industry worker-turned-boxing trainer. Their unlikely partnership, Naz’s unorthodox style, cocky persona, and sheer dominance in the ring propelled them to the top of boxing’s elite and unprecedented levels of global superstardom, all in the face of rampant islamophobia and racism of ’80s and ’90s Britain, and becoming a hero for millions of working-class and Muslim Brits. In his ten-year professional career, Naseem Hamed would hold multiple featherweight titles including the WBO, IBF and WBC titles.

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Paddy Considine (whose recent credits include House of the Dragon and The Outsider) will be playing the role of Brendan Ingle, while Mena Massoud (whose credits include Aladdin and The Royal Treatment) will be playing the role of Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed.

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Rowan Athale, who will be writing and directing the film, released a statement saying:

I have wanted to bring this movie to screen for many years. The story of fabled boxing trainer Brendan Ingle and his tempestuous relationship with protege “Prince” Naseem is both legendary, and truly cinematic. It’s exciting, necessary, hilarious, and heartbreaking, and to be making this movie with the incomparable Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud, and with the support of the one and only Sylvester Stallone and his Balboa Productions team, is a dream come true.

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Rowan Athale is known for writing recently on the television series Gangs of London, as well as writing feature films The Vault and Outside The Wire. Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios will fully finance Giant. Ford will serve as producer alongside Mark Lane (Tea Shop Productions), and Kevin Sampson (White Star Productions). Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions will serve as executive producers.

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Giant is likely to be one of the hot titles for sale at the European Film Market in Berlin next month.