A biographical film detailing the life story of former UFC superstar Ronda Rousey is officially moving forward at Netflix, with a director now attached to the project. Augustine Frizzell, widely recognized for her directing work on the acclaimed HBO series Euphoria, has been chosen to helm the biopic.
The movie is based on Rousey’s published autobiographies, My Fight/Your Fight and her recent book Our Fight. These works chronicle her journey from achieving an Olympic bronze medal in judo to becoming one of the most prominent and influential figures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Frizzell`s selection reportedly came after a compelling pitch that impressed the project`s stakeholders. Her connection to Netflix includes directing several episodes for the upcoming series The Boroughs, produced by the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers. Frizzell is also noted as being a long-time admirer of Rousey`s career and practices Muay Thai.
Originally, the film rights to Rousey’s first book were acquired by Paramount. However, after the project experienced significant delays in development and the rights agreement expired, Netflix stepped in to secure the film. This allowed the adaptation to incorporate events from Rousey`s second book, including her first professional loss to Holly Holm, her experiences with severe concussions, and her subsequent transition into professional wrestling with WWE.
Throughout the peak of her career, Rousey was celebrated as a pivotal figure in the UFC, instrumental in elevating women`s mixed martial arts to mainstream prominence within the promotion. She successfully defended her championship multiple times and also ventured into acting with roles in films such as Entourage and Furious 7.
With a director and the screenplay (reportedly written by Rousey herself in a remarkably short period) now finalized, the next critical step for the production is the casting process to find an actress to portray the iconic fighter.
