After some lackluster boxing moves coming out of the U.S. the last few years, save Creed, it’s time for the U.K. to enter the ring. Before Paddy Considine’s Journeyman later this year, the first trailer has arrived for Jawbone, the new sports drama that features across the pond favorites Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, and Michael Smiley with Johnny Harris, who also penned the script.
Helmed by Thomas Q. Napper in his directorial debut (though he’s done second unit work on pictures like Atonement, Into the Woods, and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast), Jawbone follows Jimmy (Harris), a former youth boxer who returns to his original gym to train once again after hitting rock bottom. What’s unclear is whether Jimmy is back to fight with a purpose, or just because he wants to get punched.
Harris looks to give a strong performance, supported by his more recognized peers and a couple of striking compositions from cinematographer Tat Radcliffe (who also lensed ’71). Hopefully all of these parts will coalesce into something worthwhile, while also standing out from the slew of other sports dramas like it. See the trailer below, with a nod to HeyUGuys.
A former youth boxing champion, Jimmy McCabe (Johnny Harris), is a man desperately in search of hope, but looking in all the wrong places. When he hits rock bottom he turns to his childhood boxing club and the only family he has left: gym owner Bill (Ray Winstone) cornerman Eddie (Michael Smiley) and promoter Joe (Ian McShane). In a battle between fear and faith, Jimmy risks his life, as he tries to stand tall and regain his place in the world.
Jawbone hits UK cinemas on March 17th, but is not currently slated for a U.S. distribution.