"The Featherweight" - Feature Length Biopic
Guglielmo Papaleo, tough to pronounce and even harder to remember, went by Willie Pep.He won 229 fights, more than any other fighter in boxing history.A small featherweight with a big heart. A tremendous champion.He achieved early fame, survived an alcoholic father, a plane crash, gambling, and six wives.A life destined for the big screen. This is the true story of a legendary boxer you have never heard of.This is the story of Willie Pep.Plot/Synopsis: “The Featherweight” is based on the incredible true story of former world champion Willie Pep, the man with the most wins in boxing history. One of boxing's biggest draws in the 40s and 50s, he mesmerized audiences by the way he danced around his opponents.
Set in 1965, The Featherweight” is living in relative obscurity in his hometown of Hartford making low-paying public appearances with former rivals. He tries and fails at securing a hotel management position. Soon after, his fifth wife leaves him and his estranged son enters rehab. With nowhere to go and nowhere to turn but his old trainer, Pep, at the age of 42, decides to make a stunning return to the ring.
“The Featherweight” will be filmed in faux-doc style. Think Grey Gardens meets David O. Russell's The Fighter, which included verite-style storytelling in a traditional boxing drama.
Produced in collaboration with the award-winning team behind THE REVENANT and THE AVIATOR comes the story of a true champion, one that the NY Times in 1965 designated a "Top 10 Human Interest Story."
Starring: James Madio, Ron Livingston, Stephen Lang
Directed by: Robert Kolodny
Written by: Steve Loff