Bruce Willis to Star in Sports Drama Cornerman as Cus D’Amato

Bruce Willis is set to play legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato in the new film Cornerman. IMR International announced on Monday that Willis will play D’Amato in the film, which will be directed by Rupert Friend (A Simple Favor) who will also write. Production kicks off in the fall.

Cornerman takes place in the Catskills region of New York during the early 1980s. Constantine ‘Cus’ D’Amato (Willis) is a reluctantly retired boxing coach who in his heyday discovered and trained some of the greatest heavyweight world champions. Now, along his long-time partner Camille, he runs a small gym where he and his trainers, including lithe former street-brawler Teddy Atlas, coach young contenders. But the backer of the gym is pressuring him to find a real competitor and secure Cus’ professional legacy.

So, when a friend drops by with 13-year-old Mike Tyson, Cus is intrigued. Mike gets into trouble with his fists, displaying his raw but incredibly powerful talent. Seeing the kid’s extraordinary potential, Cus enrolls him in his gym and welcomes him in his home, determined to turn the mercurial hothead into the youngest-ever heavyweight world champion.

Rupert Friend said in the announcement, “Ultimately, this is a story about a deep love between two ferocious talents, each brave enough to admit their fears to the other, and so spur one another to greatness. It is a story about fighting for what you believe in, and a film that will make you question what strength really is.”