Academy Award winner Halle Berry is Jackie Justice in the coming-of-age MMA feature film Bruised. Directed by Berry, Bruised follows the disgraced mixed martial arts fighter as she faces the brunt of being a “has-been” and reprising her role as a mother to a son she gave up. Just when everyone counts her out, Jackie works from the ground up to rebuild her career and life. Berry’s directorial debut, originally written for a 20-year-old White female and set to be directed by Nick Cassavetes (Entourage, The Hangover Part II), was penned by new scribe Michelle Rosenfarb.
“They gave me the script and I loved the story, but it was written for a twenty-something Irish Catholic White woman,” Berry said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so I thought, is it possible that this could be reimagined for someone like me? Because I think I have a take on it that could actually work, making it about a middle-aged Black woman — someone fighting for a last chance rather than another chance. When you’re young we all get chances, they’re a dime a dozen. But when you’re at a certain stage in life, it becomes something more impactful and meaningful, right?”
The cast includes Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lela Loren, Shamier Anderson, Sheila Atim, Adan Canto, and Danny Boyd Jr. Executive producers onboard consist of Mary Aloe, Jonathan Fuhrman, Phil Hunt, Ali Jazayeri, Brian Pitt, Compton Ross, and Christina Weiss Lurie.
Watch the Official Trailer for ‘Bruised’ Below:
Although Berry has held several dramatic roles in unforgettable films, such as Jungle Fever, Losing Isaiah, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Monster’s Ball, and Things We Lost in the Fire, Bruised shows the actress in an entirely different light. Berry took on months of physical training to prepare for her role as Jackie Justice and even managed to get a black eye during the rigorous experience.
The film aligns with Berry’s recent creative choices to be in action genre films, including the 2017 Taron Egerton led Kingsman: The Golden Circle and the 2019 Keanu Reeves franchise John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Bruised will be released Thanksgiving on Netflix.
