Micky Ward Biopic in the Works
By Uncategorized February 16th, 2007Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward in new flick “The Fighter”
Pending approval of the final script, Variety is reporting that Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg have signed to star in “The Fighter,� which will tell the true story “Irish� Micky Ward. Wahlberg will play Ward. Damon will play his trainer and half-brother, Dick Ecklund.
I’ve been dying to do a boxing movie my whole career,” Wahlberg recently told Reuters. “I’ve been close to doing two, and they kinda fell apart, but it’s something I’m very excited about.”
Paramount Pictures recently green-lit the film and production is scheduled to begin this summer in Boston. The film chronicles the two brothers growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts and goes through Ward’s success and immortalization as a fighter.
Ecklund was a journeyman fighter who sent Sugar Ray Leonard to the canvas in 1978. His career was derailed by drug addiction and a prison sentence. Upon his release, he convinced his younger brother, Ward – who had retired from boxing at 26 after losing four straight – to get back in the ring. Under Ecklund’s tutelage, Ward won the WBU Light Welterweight title and engaged in one of the greatest fight trilogies in history with Arturo Gatti.
Both Wahlberg and Damon recently worked together on, “The Departed,� which has earned Wahlberg an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. According to The Boston Herald, Wahlberg would like for “Departed� director Martin Scorsese to helm “The Fighter.� Scorsese also directed “Raging Bull.�
February 16th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Wahlberg would be perfect for this! And to have Damon play his brother/trainer…awesome! If they re-create the Gatti fights I wonder who would play Gatti? Doesn’t matter.
BTW…I know Raging Bull was critically acclaimed but I don’t care for it. I know Jake was no angel but I wish it could have been a little more about his boxing career. The fight scenes were pretty bad as well.
February 16th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
A movie on Micky Ward’s life huh? That’s cool. Maybe they’ll do one for Gatti (Even though the end result would be a Rocky rip-off).
Ed, good point. Who should play Gatti!?
February 17th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Two class acts - Mick & Gatti.
February 17th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Dick Eklund did not drop Sugar Ray Leonard during their match.
February 17th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Mark Wahlberg as Mickey Ward. Gee whiz all they had to do was ask cause there is another actor who looks more like Mickey Ward than any actor around.
He plays Jason on the soap General Hospital.
February 18th, 2007 at 1:39 am
i disagree- wahlbeg actually looks more like gati- i know he is irish and gatti is italian/canadian but they both have the same eyes and features cause of the high cheakbones - ward has blue eyes and blondish hair so mark looks more the part of gatti but as great of an actor as he is he will pull it off very nice i have no doubts that this will be a touching film cause ward is a stand up guy and always has been both in and out of the ring and as honest a person as u will ever find
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:13 am
this movie will be kick ass and frekin’ ausume
March 10th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
mark wahlberg is an awsome actor as mickey ward is a great boxer, an as said higher who will play gatti ,, my 2 favorite welterweight boxers irish an italian an mark wahlberg is one of my favorite actors so this will be a great movie overal
March 15th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Mickey ward is my half cousin and dick is my full cousin. dick is under trial for murder. For punching a guy out and killing him with one punch
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:54 pm
I think if they can get Benecio Deltoro in shape, he would look like Gatti. I have faith in the studios ability to do a good fight scene and I am a huge Wahlberg fan, but I watch all three of those Ward-Gatti masacres when they originally aired. They were some of the greatest exchanges I have ever seen. I even woke my wife up during the first one and made her watch. I hope the movie does them justice.
January 16th, 2008 at 1:48 am
I think they need to include the fight against Emanuel Augustus. That fight was crazy and it needs to be in the movie, it was fight of the year…
April 25th, 2008 at 10:44 am
matt damon dropped out of this movie, probably because hes a bitch, but anyways brad pitt is stepping into play dickie which should be pretty good considering he did a damn good job in fight club
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:23 am
im a great friend of mickey and dickey’s nephew sean and derek, cousins with his other nephew shane carny and jacky… micky and dickey has not only changed my life but me and all my friends who grew up in the Acre, the toughest part of the city…. there is not a roll model left in the state of mass that a tough city kid can grow up and not wanna try and compare his life too and try to go threw the same journeys that he has… all i gotta say is toughness not only grows in them family genes of mickey ward and dickey eklund, but “red dogg” and alice and miss eklund herself…..coming from a city known for tough fighters and boxers, i know what it takes to make it, and if it wasnt for guys and fighting familys like the, Rudys, Eklunds, Wards, Jaymes, Carnys , Heberts the city of lowell wouldnt be what it is today
July 6th, 2008 at 11:57 am
HEY
this is jasmine Mickeys niece.
AND one of you guys named (miks cuz says)
we must be related thats cool and do u know rich???
well if u ever get on this site make sure to leave me a comment!!!
i cant wait to see the movie!!!!!!
do you know that dickey has a movie too
and like i havent seen it though but i will soon and i think i might know you
too though cuz like im jasmine but if you dont know me o well and r u sean or
brady if u are tell me ill come on soon again eventually and like i think like brad
should play mickey and thats my opinion…… and i cant wait to see this movie !
i think it should be gooooooood and i think i talked to mickey the other day too
and if i meet you or already you know u shweet if i dont kno u well hope to see
you then id like that!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPE U ENJOY THE MOVIE
July 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
HEY
ME AGAIN
ALL THE FANS
IF U WANNA GO ON WEBSITES LIKE THESE AND LIKE
SEE PICS GO TO GOOGLE AND TYPE
MICKEY WARD
:):):):):)
THATS IF U WANNA THOUGHH SO WHATS THE DILIO!!!!
July 6th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
HEY RAZOR RUDY
WHEN YOU SAID SHANE
DID YOU MEEN
SHANE BRADY?????
CUZ IF YOU DID
THAT IS MY UNCLE!!!!!!!
October 18th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Dick is one person in my life that I will always hold close to my heart. I had the chance to train with those guys in Lowell and I must say…yes, they have a wonderful story to be told…Micky is a true champion
February 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Lets hope Scorsese can can pack as hard a punch as Micky with this one!!
March 26th, 2009 at 10:17 am
This film sounds really great. I’ll be waitting to see it.