Benedict Cumberbatch has landed a new film role as a Romany Gypsy bare-knuckle fighter.
The Oscar nominee, 41, has been cast in Gypsy Boy, the film adaptation of Mikey Walsh’s best-selling memoirs.
Autobiography Gypsy Boy and its sequel Gypsy Boy: On The Run chronicled Walsh’s experiences growing up and, knowing that he was gay, running away from the Romany community of champion bare-knuckle fighters in England in the 1980s and 1990s.
Sherlock star Cumberbatch said: “I was immediately drawn to Mikey’s courageous and heart-breaking story. And his father Frank is unlike any character I’ve played before.
“He’s a complex man torn between tradition and his love for a son struggling to come to terms with an identity that’s completely at odds with Frank and his culture.
“It’s a tension that threatens to tear everyone in their family and that community apart.”
“The sport of boxing is embedded in the Gypsy tradition – to fight for one’s family name and honour and reap the glory of its success.”
Casting is currently under way to find a young actor to play Mikey opposite Cumberbatch.
Filmmaker Morgan Matthews will be directing the movie, financed by BBC Films.
“I fell in love with this story as soon as I heard Mikey speaking about his childhood on the radio a few years ago,” he said.
“Mikey’s extraordinary life touches upon the universal subjects of identity, love, conflict, courage and sacrifice – set within a brutal and extreme yet paradoxically beautiful and intoxicating hidden world. I’m so excited to have Benedict on board – it’s a dream to be able to work with him.”
Production on the film is due to start next summer.
