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Gael Garcia Bernal is Playing Roberto Durán in 'Hands of Stone'

by Alex Billington
November 22, 2010
Source: Variety

Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal (Rudo y Cursi, Blindness) has booked a role as five-time world boxing champ Roberto Durán in an upcoming biopic called Hands of Stone. Ben Silverman and Jay Weisleder are producing with Paul Webster of Shine Pictures. In addition to Bernal starring, Al Pacino is circling the role of trainer Ray Arcel, and Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada (The Losers) is also in a key role. Directing is Venezuelan-born filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz from his own screenplay. "The infamous 'no mas' fight is the biggest enigma in the history of boxing. This movie will answer that enigma," said director Jakubowicz.

Panama-born Roberto Durán made his professional boxing debut in 1968 as a 16-year-old and retired in 2002 at age 50. In 1980, he defeated Sugar Ray Leonard to capture the WBC welterweight title, but shocked the boxing world by returning to his corner in the November rematch, saying "no mas." Interesting to see them use that as the focal point of the film, as quoted above. Hands of Stone has a budget of $15 million and will shoot mostly in English in Panama, where he was born, and New York next spring. "This is a dynamic story that will have an impact," Silverman said. Gael Garcia Bernal is one of those great actors that always stays under the radar with indies, but he's talented and I'm happy to see him starring in just about anything.

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