Movies
Pierce Brosnan undergoes major transformation as boxing trainer in ‘Giant’ movie trailer
Pierce Brosnan looks unrecognizable in the trailer for his newest movie, “Giant.”
The “Bond” actor, 72, underwent a major transformation for the role of Brendan Ingle — complete with a white, thinning combover and glasses — in the sports biopic.
In the trailer, which was released on Friday, Brosnan picks up a young boy as his boxing protegé and teaches him to become a boxing champion, with fame eventually becoming a catalyst for a rift between the mentor and his student.
Executive produced by Sylvester Stallone, the film chronicles the life of Naseem “Naz” Hamed from his “humble beginnings on the tough working class streets of Sheffield” to his discovery by Brendan Ingle (Brosnan), a steel worker turned boxing trainer.
“Their unlikely partnership along with Naz’s unorthodox style, cocky persona and sheer dominance in the ring propelled them to the top of boxing’s elite and unprecedented levels of global superstardom, all in the face of the rampant Islamophobia and racism of 80’s and 90’s Britain,” reads a synopsis, per Deadline.
Brosnan is joined by Amir El-Masry (who portrays Hamed as a young adult), Katherine Dow Blyton, Ali Saleh, Ghaith Saleh and Toby Stephens among the cast.
Hamed, now 52, is a celebrated British-Yemeni former boxer. The peak of his career was from 1992 to 2002. He held several featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000.
The real Ingle died in 2018 of a brain hemorrhage at age 77. in addition to Hamed, he trained three other world champions: Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter and Kell Brook.
During his boxing career, Ingle competed as a professional middleweight boxer. At one point, he made his mark as the eighth best boxer in the UK, according to the BBC.
In 1998, Ingle was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contribution to boxing in England and his mentorship of young people in Sheffield.
Fans first got a glimpse of Brosnan stepping into the role in 2024, when he was photographed in character walking on the film set.
The snapshots showed Brosnan strolling around in a blue tracksuit, an aged face with wrinkles and a frail elderly appearance — a stark contrast from his typical James Bond-esque flair.
Just like in the trailer, he wore a thin pair of glasses and styled his white hair in a combover.
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