The world of boxing and academia have spectacularly collided with the premiere of a major new film at the BFI London Film Festival, inspired by the writings of Edge Hill University Professor Geoffrey Beattie.
From Academic Page to Silver Screen
The boxing biopic Giant, which tells the story of legendary fighter Prince Naseem Hamed, had its first screening at the Vue Cinema in London's Leicester Square. The film's narrative is deeply rooted in Professor Beattie's books, On the Ropes and The Shadows of Boxing, written in the 1990s. The author, a keen boxer himself who trained at the famous Wincobank gym, was invited to the premiere, where he saw his research come to life.
Professor Beattie serves as an executive producer on the project, a role he shares with Nick Manzi and the iconic Sylvester Stallone. The star-studded cast features former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan as the legendary Irish trainer Brendan Ingle, and BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Amir El-Masry in the role of Prince Naseem Hamed.
A Humbling and Emotional Premiere
After watching the film, Professor Beattie described the experience as both inspiring and humbling. He praised the production, calling it an excellent, exciting, and emotional movie that brilliantly captures the era in Sheffield. He was particularly impressed with the lead performances, noting that Brosnan was excellent as Brendan Ingle and that El-Masry was very convincing as a world champion boxer.
For the Professor, the screening was a deeply personal and moving event. He found it very odd to hear his own dialogue in a movie theatre and was emotionally reminded of Brendan Ingle's profound impact on the young people in Wincobank. Ingle taught them vital social and life skills to survive both inside and outside the boxing ring, a theme central to Beattie's original books.
The Long Road to a Hollywood Production
The journey to the big screen began years ago when Hollywood studio AGC secured the rights to Professor Beattie's books. His work, On the Ropes, had previously been shortlisted for Sports Book of the Year back in 1996. Before filming commenced in 2024, the director and screenwriter Rowan Athale sent the script to Geoff for review.
Professor Beattie was thrilled to see that Athale had woven many details, conversations, and dialogue directly from the books into the screenplay. This collaboration helped get him genuinely excited about the film's potential, making the story come alive in a new medium.
The film is scheduled for general release in the UK and US from January 9, 2026, with a major Hollywood premiere date still to be confirmed. To discover more about studying Psychology or Film at Edge Hill University, you can attend the next open day on Saturday, November 15.
