Joey Paur
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Den of Thieves and Plane director Christian Gudegast is set to write and direct a new film based on mixed martial artist Royce Gracie and the birth of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If you’re into MMA, this is an interesting story that is going to make for a great movie!
The Untitled Project takes place “on the night that Royce Gracie proved Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as the most effective fighting style, one that would ultimately become a major component of today’s UFC mixed martial arts.” The story will also chronicle “Gracie’s debut in UFC 1 on November 12, 1993, when the fighter achieved the unthinkable during the organization’s inaugural competition.”
That night Gracie took down three fighters and it’s considered to be the night that the UFC was born. “Derived from Japanese jiu-jitsu, which is rooted in samurai traditions, Gracie Jiu-jitsu formed in Brazil in the 1920s when Japanese fighter Mitsuyo Maeda moved from Japan to Brazil and began training Royce’s uncle, Carlos Gracie. It was Carlos — along with his younger brother Hélio, who fathered Royce — that carried on the tradition across their family and propelled the sport to international fame.”
Gracie talked about the project, saying: “I remember every detail of that night, the intensity of it was palpable but even then I did not appreciate the incredible impact that it would have and the significance that it would carry for years to come, not just for me but for the world of martial arts. Everything I am is because of jiu-jitsu and I’m excited for the world to hear my story.”
The project is set up at Tucker Tooley Entertainment and producer Tucker Tooley (We’re The Millers, Den of Thieves) said: “Before Royce Gracie fought in the first UFC, the established fighting world was completely centered on boxing. As the world watched him defeat three fighting champions in one night using his family’s Gracie Jiu-Jitsu method, the UFC was born,” noted Tooley. “The significance of the moment was to the fight world what NWA releasing ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was to the hip hop world – a seismic shift that gave birth to a new and profound genre.”
Gudegast, who has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, added: “I have thought about telling this story for 25 years after witnessing UFC1 and being in awe of it, and at the same time having had the honor of training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Vale Tudo with Royce’s family ever since. I believe what Royce accomplished that night is one of the most extraordinary athletic achievements of all time. He and his family are endlessly fascinating, as they embody a true samurai spirit that is from another time. I have nothing but absolute maximum respect for Royce as a man and warrior, and for all the Gracies as the Godfathers of martial arts.”
Gudegast is currently in production on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and he will get started on this new project when he wraps.
Source: Deadline