Bringing the larger-than-life persona of former heavyweight champion George Foreman to the big screen is a tall order for anyone but director George Tillman Jr. was more than ready for the challenge. While Tillman was confident in leading man Khris Davis’s ability to become the boxing legend, it took some time for the film’s home, Sony Pictures, to get on board. Sony was afraid Davis wouldn’t match Foreman’s massive size. However, The Longest Ride director managed to get his actor the time needed to work on his body, and revealed how he convinced the studio to let the film’s star take time off to gain weight.
Hot off the success of Space Jam: A New Legacy, Davis was white hot when he came into audition for the George Foreman biopic. Tillman mentioned to ReelBlend that he connected with the rising star through online auditions. The two men didn’t meet until later in the COVID pandemic. The Soul Food filmmaker spilled about the moment he knew the Atlanta alum was the right fit to play the iconic boxing legend, saying:
The key to that is finding the right actor who has the commitment. A lot of that was early on, during the audition stage. And when Khris Davis first came into the audition, he was amazing as an actor. I didn’t get a chance to see him until several months later, because of the COVID/pandemic situation. He flew out to LA, and I had a chemistry test between him and Sullivan Jones, who plays Ali. I wanted those two guys together. That’s when I realized how huge he was, and the great body physique he had, at 6’4”. That means I could have an actor who’s not only a great actor, who could play the young George at 220, and be able to go up as well.
All it took was a chemistry test to convince George Tillman Jr. that Khris Davis was George Foreman. Davis’s physical presence does match the 74-year-old TV personality from his early beginnings to his 1995 comeback bout. Of course, Tillman saw the vision, but he knew the final decision wasn’t up to him. It was up to Sony Pictures to approve Davis.
However, Tillman had a plan to get the movie studio on his side. The director pushed Davis to give his best performance during the chemistry read. He knew doing so on video would be his ticket to convincing them that the actor was the right choice. The hang-up was Davis’s weight as he needed to match Foreman’s size when he became the oldest heavyweight boxing champ in 1995. The Hate U Give director then explained how he convinced the studio to let Davis have weeks off, saying:
On the chemistry test, I actually shot him to tell the studio, this is what he’s going to look like and this is what he’s going to look like later. He said, ‘I can get to there, and I can get to there.’ And then I looked at the camera, and I said, ‘Say that one more time, for the studio,’ which gave us the sense that we don’t need body suits, we just need a break. Working with DeNiro, I hear stories from him telling me how on Raging Bull, he just ate in-between his break to gain the weight. So that’s where that six weeks came in. And as a filmmaker, yes you are worried about ‘are you going to make it?’ But one of the keys was let’s lead somebody who’s committed along and put on those calories each day. I didn’t check with him until week six we came back, I just had complete faith.
Tillman allowed his leading man to gain weight without having him or the studio watching his back to make sure he matched Foreman’s physique. Using one of Robert DeNiro’s best performances as the standard worked in the film’s favor. The Judas and the Black Messiah star matched Foreman’s intimidating and gentle presence pound for pound. Everything worked out in the end as Khris Davis received rave reviews for his performance. On the other hand, the Foreman biopic has received mixed reviews.
Audiences catch Big George Foreman in theaters to see Davis and co. bring the boxing legend’s story to life. After watching the biopic, you can check out our 2023 film schedule to see what other films are coming out.
