Alan Arkin has an interesting slate coming up, with the Al Pacino/Christopher Walken gangster flick STAND UP GUYS, as well as the Jim Carrey/Steve Carell magician comedy THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE. Now he looks to be adding another interesting film to that lot, as he is in talks to play Sylvester Stallone’s former trainer in boxing film GRUDGE MATCH. Arkin will play ‘Lightning’ Louis Epstein, who agrees to train Henry ‘Razor’ Sharp (Stallone) again, after Sharp rescues him from a nursing home (not unlike in STAND UP GUYS, where it appears that he also gets ‘rescued’ from a nursing home…typecast much?). However, Epstein questions his decision when an old flame (Kim Basinger) comes back into his life. Also starring will be Robert De Niro as Sharp’s long term rival and opponent in the titular grudge match, Billy ‘The Kid’ McGuigan.
I love Alan Arkin and I think he’ll fit in well with the others in this one. I don’t know about the concept, but it’s a decent cast and that can sometimes save a film.
GRUDGE MATCH will be directed by Peter Segal. It will star Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger and Kevin Hart. It will open in US and UK cinemas sometime in 2014.
Source: Variety
