The Weinstein Company has set an Aug. 26 opening date for the U.S. release of “Hands of Stone,” starring Edgar Ramirez as boxer Roberto Duran and Robert De Niro as trainer Ray Arcel.
TWC picked up domestic rights in May at the Cannes Film Festival with the agreement to release the biopic on at least 2,000 screens.
Written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz, the movie follows the life story of Duran, who rose from the slums of Panama to become one of the great fighters of his time. His rivalry with Sugar Ray Leonard (portrayed by Usher in the film) is considered one of the fiercest in boxing history.
Duran was nicknamed “hands of stone” because of his punching power. He won 103 of his 119 fights between 1968 and 2002, when he retired at the age of 50.
Ellen Barkin, John Turturro and Ana de Armas also star. “Hands of Stone” is produced by Jonathan Jakubowicz, Claudine Jakubowicz, Jay Weisleder and Ben Silverman.
“Hands of Stone” opens against Open Road’s “Max Steel,” Lionsgate’s “Mechanic: Resurrection” and Sony’s Fede Alvarez/Sam Raimi untitled horror movie.
TWC also dated John Carney’s music-comedy “Sing Street” for a limited launch on April 15. Carney, the director of 2007’s “Once” and “Begin Again,” directed a story of 1980s Dublin seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who invites a teenage girl (Lucy Boynton) to star in his band’s music videos, without being part of a band yet.
Robert De Niro Boxing Movie ‘Hands of Stone’ Set for August | Variety
