Prince Naseem Biopic ‘Giant,’ Starring Amir El Masry and Pierce Brosnan, to Open Red Sea Film Festival

The fifth edition of Red Sea Film Festival will open on Dec. 4 with Rowan Athale’s “Giant,” which tells the story of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed. The screening will be the film’s premiere in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The film portrays the relationship between Hamed, played by Egyptian-British actor Amir El Masry, and his Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, played by Pierce Brosnan. It charts Naz’s rags-to-riches underdog tale from his humble beginnings in Sheffield to becoming champion of the world. Sylvester Stallone is one of the film’s executive producers.

With his dominance of the sport, Naseem faced down the abhorrent racism and islamophobia that swept Britain in the 1980s and ’90s to become a global sporting icon.

The film explores the unlikely and tender relationship between Naz and Ingle, and the instrumental role that Ingle played on Naz’s road to success.