Cinderella Man: The Shooting Script

The Academy Award®-winning team behind A Beautiful Mind—comprised of producer Brian Grazer, director Ron Howard, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, and actor Russell Crowe—reunites to tell the quintessentially American story of legendary boxer Jim Braddock. Cliff Hollingsworth joins them in his screenwriting debut.

During the darkest years of the Great Depression, Braddock (Russell Crowe), a once promising light heavyweight, is forced into retirement after a string of losses. Braddock must accept any job to support his wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger), and their children, and they suffer with the rest of the nation through those bleak times. Nine months later, thanks to a last-minute cancellation, Braddock finds himself back in the ring at Madison Square Garden with little time for preparation, yet somehow he miraculously wins. He goes on to claim victories in two more bouts and qualifies as the challenger to the world heavyweight champion, Max Baer (Craig Bierko). Dubbed the "Cinderella Man," Braddock with his unlikely comeback becomes the people's champ, and his devotion to provide for his family is now elevated to the status of national legend in the eyes of his hopeful fans.

Cliff Hollingsworth grew up in the town of Barnwell, South Carolina, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career. Cinderella Man is his first produced screenplay.

Akiva Goldsman received the 2001 Academy Award®, Golden Globe and Writers Guild Award for A Beautiful Mind. His writing credits also include The Client, Batman Forever, A Time to Kill, Practical Magic, and I, Robot.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of his generation’s most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramas A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon, Rush, and Apollo 13 to the hit comedies Parenthood and Splash, he has created some of Hollywood’s most memorable films. Howard made his directorial debut in 1977 with Grand Theft Auto. He began his career in film as an actor, performing in The Journey when he was four years old. He also starred in The Music Man, the long-running television series The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, and in the film American Graffiti. His most recent films as a director are Hillbilly Elegy and the upcoming Thirteen Lives.