2007-med-wide).JPG)
Hollywood heavyweight Samuel L. Jackson matches up with Josh Hartnett in the knock-out film Resurrecting the Champ.
Academy Award nominated filmmaker Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle) creates a explosive drama about scandal, ethics in journalism, family and legacy.
The film is scheduled for release nationwide from the Yari Film Group on August 24th.
In Resurrecting the Champ, Hartnett stars as Erik, an up-and-coming sports reporter who rescues a homeless man called "Champ," portrayed by Jackson.
Erik discovers that Champ is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity for him to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success, becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.
Josh Hartnett & Sam Jackson in 'Resurrecting the Champ'
For writer/director Lurie, attracting a strong cast was as important as the great story. The quality of actors who signed on are Academy Award® nominees, and several Emmy and Golden Globe winners. With that, Resurrecting the Champ was primed to go the distance to the big screen Lurie says, "I am truly delighted with every actor who came on board this film, but to have such a powerhouse as Sam Jackson in the title role, I couldn't have asked for anything more. I like to take an actor of his caliber - one who has such an iconic image - away from that image and plant him in a role that is unexpected. Since Sam usually portrays strong-willed, strong-bodied characters, I loved the notion of casting him as someone who is, as the Champ says, 'down and almost halfway out.' In fact, I can't recall an actor transforming himself into a person of the streets like this in such a unique way since Dustin Hoffman literally embodied Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy."
Jackson, an Oscar®-nominee for Pulp Fiction, was eager to delve into such a fascinating character. "This guy is a fallen hero of sorts, a man who wants so much to be somebody else that he winds up being nobody," observes Jackson. "I had to dig deep into parts of myself I didn't particularly like going to in order to find the Champ, but it was a journey well worth taking."
Hartnett had his hands full in multifaceted role of Erik, but he certainly proved to be up to the challenge.
Lurie agrees, "I was drawn to Josh because I have tremendous respect for the choices he's made in his career. With his good looks he could have easily gone with multi-million dollar projects and the movie star route, but Josh has always been very selective about the roles he takes on, roles with a lot of heart and complexity like this one."
Hartnett was eager to tackle the complex character. "The truth is, I'm not a father nor have I ever played one before, so this has been a real adventure for me," admits the young actor. "I loved both the honesty and the flaws of Erik's character. It was an honor to portray him as well as to work with such an amazing director, cast and crew."
Lurie especially liked the way Hartnett handled himself opposite veteran actors and newcomer Dakota Goyo, who played Teddy his six-year old son. "Josh has a lot of emotionally charged roles to fill in this film, and they are all wrapped up in one very character," observes Lurie. "He's a beleaguered reporter with no confidence opposite his boss, played by Alan Alda. He is the up-and-coming it guy, full of bravado, opposite a powerful and sexy TV exec, played by Teri Hatcher. He then has to switch gears completely to portray the estranged husband and caring father opposite Kathryn Morris and Dakota Goyo - and all the while, he's swapping dialogue with the likes of Sam Jackson! Needless to say, Josh had a multilevel character to play, and I think he did a tremendous job."
Jackson's career began upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts. He went on to perform in numerous stage plays, including Home, A Soldier's Play, Sally/Prince and The District Line. He also originated roles in two of August Wilson's plays at Yale Repertory Theatre. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jackson appeared in Mother Courage and Her Children, Spell #7 and The Mighty Gents. Jackson made his film debut in Together for Days, while still a student at Morehouse.
Jackson's 2007 film releases include Irwin Winkler's Home of the Brave and Craig Brewer's Black Snake Moan. Currently, Jackson has completed production on three films; Doug Liman's sci-fi thriller, Jumper, The Cleaner, a drama/thriller that Jackson is co-producing and, most recently, Lake View Terrace, a suspense thriller, starring with Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson.
In 2006, Jackson starred in New Line's thriller Snakes on a Plane and in Freedomland opposite Julianne Moore. In 2005, he played Agent Derrick Vann in the action crime comedy The Man opposite Eugene Levy. Also in that year, Jackson topped the opening weekend box office charts with the success of the Paramount Pictures' Coach Carter, which also screened opening night of the Palm Springs Film Festival, where Jackson received a Career Achievement Award and Best Actor at the NAACP Image Awards.
Jackson also starred in In My Country, directed by John Boorman, as an American reporter who must cope with the aftermath of apartheid as his newspaper assigns him to cover the Truth and Reconciliation Trials. He then did two reprising roles, first as Agent Augustus Gibbons in XXX: State of the Union and then as Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Jackson's additional credits include the voice of Frozone in Disney's critically acclaimed, animated action-adventure film The Incredibles, as well as starring roles in S.W.A.T., Changing Lanes, Formula 51, XXX, Stars Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Kasi Lemmons' Caveman's Valentine and Eve's Bayou.
In 2000, Jackson starred opposite Bruce Willis in writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's suspense drama, Unbreakable. Also in that year, he starred in the courtroom drama Rules of Engagement and in John Singleton's Shaft. Both films were screened at the 2000 Deauville Film Festival, where Jackson was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
His portrayal of Jules, the philosophizing hit man, in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction brought him unanimous critical acclaim, as well as Academy Award® and Golden Globe nominations. For Jackie Brown, his second film with director Quentin Tarantino, Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination and the Silver Bear Award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Berlin Film Festival. For his performance in Joel Schumacher's 1996 film of the John Grisham novel A Time to Kill, Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award.
In 1991, Jackson made movie history with his portrayal of a crack addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever when he was awarded the first and only Best Supporting Actor Award ever given by the judges at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for that performance.
On television, Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer's Emmy Award-winning Against the Wall for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.
Hartnett was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and he was most recently seen starring opposite Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson in Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia.
Hartnett first came to audiences' attention as Michael "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the television series "Cracker," and he made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Miramax's Halloween: H20. For his efforts, he received an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. Also in that year, he starred in The Faculty, directed by Robert Rodriguez, again for Miramax. He followed in 1999 with a starring role opposite Kirsten Dunst in the film which marked Sofia Coppola's directorial debut, the critically acclaimed black comedy, The Virgin Suicides.
In 2001 Hartnett starred in three features. His portrayal of the antagonist, Hugo, in the Lions Gate Film O, a modern day version of Othello, earned him widespread praise. He then went on to star in the Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster Pearl Harbor and segued to Morocco for Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, another Bruckheimer production. In 2002 the National Theater Owners awarded him the ShoWest 2002 Male Star of Tomorrow Award.
Hartnett also starred in MGM's Wicker Park opposite Diane Krueger and Rose Byrne for director Paul McGuigan, Miramax's Sin City for director Robert Rodriguez and Mozart and the Whale, a love story between two savants with Asperger's Syndrome written by Ron Bass. He recently re-teamed with director McGuigan when he starred with Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis in Lucky Number Slevin for The Weinstein Company. Hartnett has also just completed starring in 30 Days of Night for director David Slade which will be released by Sony in October 2007.
Additional film credits for Hartnett include Hollywood Homicide, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Blow Dry, Town and Country and Here on Earth.
Based on reporter J.R. Moehringer's real life experience writing about Satterfield in his article "Resurrecting the Champ" in 1997,Yari Film Group co-produced Resurrecting the Champ with Phoenix and Battleplan Productions. The screen story and screenplay are by Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett.
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source:
Roz Stevenson PR
www.rozstevensonpr.com