Winston Duke is set to star in the Kimbo Slice biopic, Backyard Legend. Duke is having his breakout moment thanks to recent appearances as M’Baku in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. His performance is one of the many parts of Black Panther that people just can’t stop talking about, and has made many interested to see what comes next. He survived Thanos’ snap, so a role in Avengers 4 is possible, but his future is brighter than just playing a supporting character in these blockbusters.
The first project to lure Duke after his Black Panther fame was Jordan Peele’s Get Out followup, Us. He’s going to star alongside Lupita Nyong’o, his Black Panther co-star, in a dramatic/thriller turn. Now, he’s taking on another dramatic turn to play famous MMA fighter Kimbo Slice.
Deadline reports Winston Duke will play Kevin ‘Kimbo Slice’ Ferguson in Backyard Legend. The biopic is produced by two relatively new production studios, Steve Lee Jones’ Bee Holder Productions and Michael J. Weiss’ Webros Entertainment. The project does have a script by Andy Weiss (White Boy Rick). As recent as late last year, Simon Brand was scheduled to direct the film, but there’s no mention of him now - so Backyard Legend may need a director now to pair with its new star.
The role of Kimbo Slice will certainly be a change of pace for Duke, but one he will hopefully thrive in. Kimbo’s story has plenty of cinematic potential too. Once homeless, Kevin would often be found in backyard fights. When some of his brawls started to make their way online, he became a viral sensation, which helped launch his MMA career. His quick wins only elevated his legacy, where he went 5-2 (and one no contest). He eventually turned to boxing and came close to a professional wrestling stint. His life was cut short when he died at the age of 42.
There’s plenty of elements to Kimbo’s life that can and surely will be brought in to Backyard Legend’s story. Duke is actually a bit bigger than Kimbo was in real life, but that shouldn’t make this any less promising of a role for him. He’s shown his ability in combat as M’Baku in Black Panther, but playing Kimbo will require a different level of performance. Duke’s résumé is filling out nicely after Black Panther now, and this gives him another avenue to show his range. Whenever this film does come together, hopefully Duke will turn in a performance that rivals the best in the genre.
MORE: Winston Duke Wants to Make a Bad Boys Reboot
Backyard Legend does not yet have a release date.
Source: Deadline
