Draft:Benn/Eubank

Benn/Eubank is an upcoming British sports film about the 1990s boxing rivalry between Tony Benn and Chris Eubank. Produced by Fulwell 73, it is directed by David Harewood in his feature length directorial debut.

Synopsis
The real life story of British boxing rivalry in the 1990s between middleweight boxers Chris Eubank and Tony Benn, and the WBO title fight, credited as “one of the greatest clashes to ever take place on British soil.”

Cast

 * David Jonsson as Chris Eubank
 * Joshua Maynard as Nigel Benn
 * Nathalie Emannuel as Sharon Benn
 * O-T Fagbenle as Ambrose Mendy
 * David Harewood as Adonis

Production
The production was initially announced in 2017 by Fulwell 73, with Kieron Hawkes directing a script from sports writer Daniël Harris.

In 2021 David Harewood was revealed to be taking over as director of the project, with the working title ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’. Daniel Harris, Kieron Hawkes and Belinda Joanne Ampah wrote the script. Producers are Fulwell 73’s Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood. In May, 2022 David Jonsson, Joshua Maynard, Nathalie Emmanuel joined the project.

Speaking to The Guardian in March 2023, Jonsson described the role as “hardly your archetypal British black man, is he? Eubank is his own lane.” He also told the NME that Eubank was inspirational because “He was this incredibly driven person who got expelled from school…and had to find a way of life. He’s a complete athlete who changed the way being a young, Black – in fact, any colour – boxer was seen and the way they were paid. Anthony Joshua would never be making what he makes now if it weren’t for Chris Eubank walking into [boxing promoter] Barry Hearn’s office at the time and saying, ‘I know my worth. Pay me what I’m worth’.” Jonsson was quoted by Screen Daily saying that he needed “time to gain 20 pounds of muscle” prior to filming the role.