Leonardo DiCaprio’s production house Appian Way Productions is teaming up with Bollywood star Abhay Deol’s Canada-based content creation company, Blisspoint Entertainment, and Singapore’s Golden Ratio Films for Pep, a biopic of the legendary mid-20th century featherweight boxer Guglielmo Papaleo.
Professionally known as Willie Pep, he is considered to be one of the best fighters of the 20th century. He had a 26-year-long career with nearly 2,000 rounds of boxing as a professional.
The film, set in 1965 will be centered around one of Pep’s comebacks, as he finds himself riddled with debt while supporting a wife half his age and a drug addict son.
James Madio will be playing Pep’s role in the film, and Keir Gilchrist will essay the role of Pep’s son, Billy Junior. Ron Livingston essays the character named Bob Kaplan, who was Pep’s business manager.
Pep, the film, is directed by Rober Kolodny, and Steve Loff has penned its screenplay. Steve James is executive producing the film while Rober Greene will be the editor.