The directorial debut from Boardwalk Empire and Mayfair Witches star Jack Huston, Day of the Fight, has found a distributor alongside talks of a potential awards campaign. The upcoming film sees Huston reunite with several former castmates from the acclaimed HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. As reported by THR, Huston’s debut features his former co-star Michael Pitt, as well as Nicolette Robinson, Ron Perlman, John Magaro, Anatol Yusef, and another Boardwalk Empire actor, Steve Buscemi. A trailer for the movie has now been unveiled (check it out below), with a theatrical debut now set for November 15 in New York and Los Angeles, followed by a nationwide release.
If that were not already enough to convince you of the movie’s pedigree, Day of the Fight will also see Oscar-winner Joe Pesci come out of retirement and return to the screen for a brief cameo. The beloved actor hasn’t appeared in a feature film since his critically acclaimed performance in Martin Scorsese’s 2019 film The Irishman, which Huston also played a part in.
Written and directed by Jack Huston in his directorial debut, Day of the Fight is shot entirely in black-and-white and follows a former world-renowned boxer as he grapples with his past and present on the day of his first fight after being released from prison.
The producers for Day of the Fight include Huston, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, who produced The Irishman and both Joker films, and Josh Porter, Jai Stefan and Colleen Camp. Huston could barely contain his excitement over the theatrical release, saying:
“I am filled with such immense gratitude to bring Day of the Fight to theaters this fall. It was my goal to make something honest and relatable about the complexities of life that asks the eternal question: How far are we willing to go for the ones we love? I was blessed to have worked with the most incredible cast, who brought these characters to life with such passion, anchored by Michael C. Pitt’s achingly beautiful performance.”
Could Day of the Fight Find Awards Glory?
Falling Forward Films won the distribution rights for Day of the Fight, with the studio already starting its awards campaign for the drama. Perception PR has now been hired to collaborate with the distribution after previously helping Neon guide Parasite to its Academy Award. Falling Forward Films’ CEO Scott Kennedy spoke about the partnership in collaboration with Productivity Media to share the film with the world.
“We’re excited to share Jack Huston’s incredible new film, a true standout in the world of cinema. William Santor and Productivity Media, along with Falling Forward Films, are proud to bring this remarkable movie to audiences everywhere, and can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
Huston’s debut featured at last year’s Venice Film Festival and has since been expected to make headlines for the awards season. Huston has experience in the acting world in Boardwalk Empire, Silver Linings Playbook, and most recently, Mayfair Witches. He comes from a family in the industry, a family with three Oscar winners, and following its initial premiere, Day of the Fight was also showcased at the Mill Valley, SCAD, Newport Beach and Austin festivals to much praise.
After running out of time and being unable to correctly showcase and build-up the debut, the movie was moved to a 2024 worldwide release. It is expected to garner the attention of several awards, such as Gotham and Spirit awards for directing, cinematography, and the performance of the lead actor, Pitt. The quest for an Academy Award isn’t a big stretch, with indie films like Whale Rider, The Messenger, Monster, The Visitor, and Maria Full of Grace all garnering nominations after their worldwide push, as well as Ghostlight, another recent small indie film generating “movie of the year” buzz.
