The Featherweight movie (2024): Everything we know so far

Robert Kolodny's boxing biopic The Featherweight is finally hitting theaters on September 20, after a year-long wait. The sports drama premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in September last year and received a six-minute standing ovation.

James Madio stars as Willie Pep, a retired featherweight boxing champion. Set in 1964, the film follows Pep as his glory days in the ring have passed, but the drama continues. The former pro boxer juggles his life with a younger wife and a drug-addled son from his first marriage.

Although years have gone by since his prime, Pep wants a comeback, and he's determined to do it in front of the camera. However, instead of an inspiring resurgence story everyone was hoping for, the cameras captured the eventual downfall of the Italian-American boxing icon.

The cast also includes Shari Albert, Imma Aiello, and pro boxer Bruce Carrington, with Lawrence Gilliard Jr. playing Pep's long-time in-ring rival, Sandy Saddler.

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When will The Featherweight release?

The Featherweight is set for a limited theatrical release just over a year after receiving positive reviews during its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year. The movie will open in movie theaters in New York and Connecticut, Pep's hometown, on September 20.

Those in Los Angeles will have to wait for a week to see the movie as it releases in the state on September 27.

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Cast and characters in the movie

James Madio, known for his roles in Boon, The Basketball Diaries, and The Last Push, stars in the film as the Italian-American boxer Guglielmo Papaleo, aka Willie Pep. Ron Livingston joins the cast list to play Pep's long-suffering manager who objected to his return to the boxing ring, Bob Kaplan, and Stephen Lang plays the boxer's trainer, Bill Gore.

The rest of the cast includes:

• Ruby Wolf as Linda Papaleo
• Keir Gilchrist as Billy Papaleo Jr.
• Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Sandy Saddler
• Shari Albert as Fran Papaleo
• Frank John Hughes as Mike Marino
• Imma Aiello as Mama Papaleo
• Michael Siberian as Bill Lee
• Jeremy Luke as Rocky Marciano
• David Lavine as Karl Rierson
• Bruce Carrington as Goose
• Louis Vanaria as the event organizer
• Patrick Murney as Don Dunphy
• Gino Cafarelli as Harry Balogh
• Delano Montgomery as Sam Hornsby
• Jay Giannone as Gerard

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What is The Featherweight all about?

According to the official film synopsis, The Featherweight shares a true-to-life story of Italian-American boxer Willie Pep years after he retired from the sport. It's 1964, and he's already in his 40s with a young wife and a drug-addicted son. With his personal life in shambles, Pep has the idea of reclaiming his golden years in the ring.

A documentary camera crew enters his life to get a glimpse and share the story of his epic return to the ring. However, his attempt at a second chance at the sport that once loved him isn't as easy as he initially thought. In his battle of chasing nostalgia, Pep soon realizes that the spotlight can be a harsh thing.

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Does The Featherweight have a trailer?

The film's official trailer came out on August 9, 2024, to give a 2-minute glimpse of the upcoming biopic. It kicks off with a 1960s look of Willie Pep's golden years in the ring, with the announcer saying that he's the "youngest world champion in 40 years" after one of his matches.

The trailer also showed Madio's character in the boxing ring sharing fun facts about himself, like his "231 professional fights." People who know him also share their "Willie Pep stories" in pseudo-documentary tapes, saying that he is "the best fighter I ever saw" and a "sports sensation."

Short glimpses of Madio's character as he attempts to return to the ring are also shown in the trailer, including his training and the tension between family members. The clip ended with Pep talking to the camera, saying, "I was ready to die on that ring or k*ll."

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Catch The Featherweight in movie theaters starting September 20.