Russell Crowe To Take The Ring?

Posted Thursday, October 18, 2001 at 9:56 AM Central

by Heather Koehler

Russell Crowe destroyed all of his competitors in the Gladiator and now Universal has offered him a chance to defeat an opponent in the ring.

The Australian actor has been offered the lead in 'The Cinderella Man,' portraying heavyweight boxing champ Jim Braddock. The movie will center around his life and when he upset the odds in 1935 beating Max Baer.

The studio hasn't confirmed any cast members yet, but they have confirmed Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules) will take on the job of directing the movie. Previous reports hinted that Billy Bob Thornton would direct and Ben Affleck would play Jim. Not anymore.