Docudrama “Giant” brings the extraordinary life of Britain’s former world champion Prince Naseem Hamed to the big screen, with Amir El-Masry starring as the flamboyant boxer and Pierce Brosnan as his legendary trainer, Brendan Ingle.
Hamed held multiple featherweight world titles during a dazzling career from 1992 to 2002, becoming a global attraction for his explosive style, theatrical ring entrances and unmistakable bravado.
“Giant” traces his rise from modest beginnings, centering on the powerful bond between Hamed and Ingle. An Irishman who ran a gym in Sheffield, Ingle devoted his life to steering young people away from the streets and into the discipline of boxing.
When Hamed’s Yemeni parents enrolled their sons to help them stand up to racist bullying, 7-year-old Naseem immediately stood out, blending lightning footwork with fearless swagger.
Ingle’s unorthodox methods and Hamed’s raw talent drive them to the pinnacle of the sport, but as fame and success grow, so do the pressures that threaten to fracture their remarkable partnership.
“It’s a story of two men who are wildly ambitious ... who know what it’s like to be on the outside of life and have this ferocious passion to be great,” Brosnan said while premiering the film in London on Wednesday.
Brothers Ghaith and Ali Saleh play Hamed at ages 7 and 12, while El-Masry portrays the boxer at his peak.
El-Masry spent four weeks preparing for the role, training 12 hours a day, losing 18 pounds (8 kilograms) and watching archive footage to hone Hamed’s movements and bravado.
“Massive boots to fill. He was one of my heroes growing up,” El-Masry said.
Sylvester Stallone was an executive producer of “Giant,” which was written and directed by Rowan Athale.
Athale described the movie as a “fractured love story between a father and a son.”
The late Ingle’s contributions to boxing and his community “needed to be focused on,” Athale said.
“He’s as brilliant in his field as Naz was in his, so I wanted to give them equal time.”
Hamed, 51, who showed his support by attending the London premiere, was not involved in the production.
“To be really honest, this is not a story about me. It’s a film about the prince and his trainer. It’s not really had my input at all, so there are some good parts and some bad parts,” Hamed said, adding that he is planning a documentary series about his life with actor Mark Wahlberg.
“Giant” begins its global theatrical rollout Jan. 8.
