Coming in With a Punch! Halle Berry Stars in an Makes Her Directorial Debut With 'Bruised'!
Superstar Halle Berry has officially made her directorial debut. Berry directed and starred in a new Netflix film titled Bruised. This independent film follows the story of a MMA fighter who returns to the ring while also coping with the reappearance of the son that she gave up. Berry was passionate about the project from both sides of the camera. While a seasoned on-screen veteran, Berry's decision to step behind the camera was more nerve-wracking, but she knew this was the moment to do it. She said, "I was told a long time ago if you're going to be a filmmaker and tell a story, let it be something you love and something you know, and I feel like this is something I love and know." As a boxing fan, she felt confident that this was her moment.
The film premiered on Saturday at the AFI film fest. From there, it was picked up by Netflix which alone is a testament to the quality of the piece. Berry's multi-faceted participation in the film was not the original intention. Originally Blake Lively was going to take on the leading role.
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However, after Lively dropped out of the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "Berry was sent the script and loved it so much that she convinced producers to let her refocus the story to a middle-aged Black woman living and training in Newark for her to star in." The fight for this refocus was not easy. Berry recounted, "I was like, 'Oh god, I can't seem to get a filmmaker to make this story.' And then my dear friend, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas said to me, 'Wy don't you direct?'" The rest is history.
We are so thrilled to see Berry's directorial debut be such an instant success. Bruised will be available for streaming on Netflix on November 24th.
