Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer, director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (all Oscar winners for 2001's A Beautiful Mind) are reunited with Oscar winner Russell Crowe for the Universal Pictures-Miramax Films-Imagine Entertainment production, Cinderella Man. Starring opposite Crowe is two-time Oscar® nominee Renee Zellweger.

Crowe stars in the story inspired by the life of legendary athlete Jim Braddock, a once-promising light heavyweight boxer forced into retirement after a string of losses in the ring. As the nation enters the darkest years of the Great Depression, Braddock accepts a string of dead-end jobs to support his wife, Mae (Renee Zellweger), and their children, while never totally abandoning his dream of boxing again.

Thanks to a last minute cancellation, Braddock finds himself back in the ring against the second-ranked world contender--and to everyone's amazement, Braddock wins in the third round. Despite being pounds lighter than his opponents and repeated injuries to his hands, Braddock continues to fight against challengers and win. Carrying on his shoulders the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised masses, Braddock, dubbed the "Cinderella Man," faces his toughest challenger in Max Baer (Craig Bierko), the heavyweight champion of the world, renowned for having killed two men in the ring.

Cinderella Man stars Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger and Craig Bierko; is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Penny Marshall; is written by Cliff Hollingsworth, C. Gaby Mitchell, Akiva Goldsman; and is directed by Ron Howard. The film is a Universal Pictures/Miramax Films co-production of an Imagine Entertainment presentation, with Universal Pictures distributing domestically and Buena Vista International handling the international distribution of the film for Miramax.

Directed by
Ron Howard

Cast
Russell Crowe - Jim Braddock
Renee Zellweger - Mae Braddock
Paul Giamatti - Joe Gould
Craig Bierko - Max Baer
Paddy Considine - Mike Wilson
Bruce McGill - Jimmy Johnston
Ron Canada - Joe Jeanette
David Huband - Ford Bond
Connor Price - Jay Braddock
Ariel Waller - Rosemarie Braddock
Patrick Louis - Howard Braddock

Production Co.
Imagine Entertainment
Parkway Productions

Produced by
Todd Hallowell
James Whitaker
Penny Marshall

Studio
Universal Pictures

Writer
Cliff Hollingsworth

Music
Thomas Newman