Anthony Robles’ unparalleled sports legacy is now on the big screen.
The NCAA Division I Champion wrestler, who was born without a right leg, is portrayed by Jharrel Jerome in biopic “Unstoppable.” The film is based on the book “Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion,” which was written by Robles and Austin Murphy.
Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle, and Jennifer Lopez co-star in the feature that will have its world premiere at TIFF 2024. Robles, a producer on the film, is also Jerome’s body double for its wrestling scenes. The two trained together for months.
The production employed Accessibility Coordinators from IndieVisible to ensure a safe working environment.
The project was announced in March 2023 with Lopez’s husband Ben Affleck producing through his Artists Equity production banner, which he co-founded with longtime collaborator Matt Damon.
“Unstoppable” is directed by Academy Award-winning editor William Goldenberg, who is making his directorial debut with the biopic. Goldenberg previously collaborated with producer Affleck on “Argo,” “Live by Night,” and “Air.” His other credits and Oscar nominations include for “The Imitation Game,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Seabiscuit,” and “The Insider.”
Eric Champnella, Alex Harris, and John Hindman adapted the screenplay from Robles’ memoir.
Along with Affleck and Robles, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Andrew Fraser, Gary Lewis, and David Crockett produce the film.
Artists Equity debuted with another sports biopic, “Air,” based on the true story of Nike’s courtship of Michael Jordan and starring Matt Damon. Additional Artists Equity projects include “The Accountant 2” starring Affleck, which like “Unstoppable” is also an Amazon MGM film, and Netflix drama “Animals” with Affleck directing Damon.
Damon has said it was a “natural progression” to inevitably be directed by his “Good Will Hunting” co-writer, Affleck, on “Air.”
“We’ve written a bunch of movies and produced and acted together for so many years and decades, so it didn’t feel any different, working this way,” Damon said. “I mean, we did high school plays where he was like, ‘Dude, I think you should do it like this.’ He’s been directing me for like 40-something years.”
“Unstoppable” premieres in select U.S. and UK theaters on December 6. The film will begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video on January 16, 2025. Check out the trailer below, and read the IndieWire review for “Unstoppable” here.
