Variety is reporting that the Oscar-nominated Black Panther and Mudbound cinematographer Rachel Morrison is in talks to make her feature directorial debut with Universal’s Flint Strong, based on the 2015 boxing documentary T-REX directed by Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper.
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Flint Strong, written by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight), tells the story of 17-year-old Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, a Flint, Mich., native whose dreams of becoming the first woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing were realized at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Shields won a second gold medal in women’s middleweight boxing.
Jenkins will produce alongside Michael De Luca through his Michael De Luca Productions banner. De Luca Productions’ Elishia Holmes will also produce with Canepari and Cooper serving as executive producers.
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Shields’ life rights and rights to the documentary were acquired by Universal in 2016. Erik Baiers, Universal’s senior EVP of production, will oversee the film for the studio.
