Letitia Wright Heads To ‘In The Shadows’; Altitude Films Launching Sales On Boxing Drama At Cannes Market
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Letitia Wright is stepping into the ring for In the Shadows, a drama based on the true story of Ramla Ali, the first Somali British professional boxing champion.
Altitude Film Sales is unveiling the title to buyers in Cannes next week. The company will release the project in the UK and Ireland in 2024.
More from Deadline
The film tells the story of Ali who fled Somalia with her family as a young girl, seeking asylum in London from the civil war. As a teenager, she pursued her love of boxing but did so secretly as she knew her family would disapprove. Her determination to win led her to the England Novice National Championship, the Elite National Championships and the Great British Championships.
Ali became the first boxer, male or female, to represent Somalia at the 2020 Olympic Games and made history after winning the first ever professional female boxing match in Saudi Arabia. She won her first professional IBF intercontinental title at Superbantam weight this year at Madison Square Gardens and was named by Time magazine as one of its 2023 Women of the Year.
Anthony Wonke (Dettori, Syria: Children on the Frontline) will direct from a script by Ursula Rani Sarma, which was initially developed with Film4. 12 Years A Slave cinematographer Sean Bobbitt has come aboard as well. Lee Magiday of Sleeper Films and Madeline Sanderson of Curate Films will produce alongside Wright and her 3.16 Productions.
“Our personalities and journeys, although in different fields, are strangely similar,” said Ali. “Talent aside, because we all know how special she is, Letitia is a woman of great ethics and integrity and knowing that she will be playing me in a movie is a dream come true. There is no other soul on this earth that would do the film justice like Letitia will.”
Wright added: “It’s an incredible honor to portray Ramla. Not only is she an incredible woman of strength, dedication and perseverance, but her journey will impact many lives and I’m excited for audiences to experience her story.”
Wright is repped by Jason Sloane & Harris Hartman of Sloane Offer Weber & Dern LLP. Wonke is repped by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. Sarma is repped by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Artists First.
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
