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Universal Pictures picks up rights to life story of amateur Claressa Shields

Fighters Network
15
Mar

file_174259_2_Claressa-Shields-350

Universal Pictures is about to get into the boxing business.

The studio that distributed the Jurassic Park movies has acquired the rights to the life story of Claressa Shields, the trailblazing amateur boxer from Flint, Michigan who captured gold at the 2012 Olympics in London at the age of 17.

Shields’ journey to become the first American woman to capture a gold medal in the 165-pound division was detailed by filmmakers Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper in the 2015 documentary, “T-Rex,” whose rights are involved in the Universal acquisition, according to Deadline.com, first to report news of the deal.



Universal is partnering with Michael De Luca Productions on the film with the goal of penning a script of Shields’ story reminiscent of the Rocky movies only with a girl-power message, Deadline said. De Luca and Elishia Holmes, an executive at De Luca’s company who advocated for the project, will produce the film. The film “T-Rex” was picked up by Netflix and is being targeted for the summer when it will hit airwaves., Deadline said.

Shields is currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she is in the process of trying to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Shields won her first-round match on Monday. If she wins her next contest on Thursday, which happens to be her 21st birthday, she will qualify for the Games.

“I will do better in my next fight on my birthday,” said Shields, according to a release on the USA Boxing website. “I’m excited to be one fight away from my second Olympic Games. I’m excited about fighting on my birthday but I’m most excited about winning this tournament.”

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