Halle Berry to Make Directorial Debut, Star in MMA Drama Bruised

Oscar winner Halle Berry is set to make her directorial debut with Bruised, a drama about the world of mixed martial arts fighting in which she will also star, per Deadline.

Written by Michelle Rosenfarb, Bruised follows Jackie “Justice,” a disgraced MMA fighter dealing with the sudden reappearance of her six-year-old son, Manny, whom she walked out on years ago. In Bruised, Jackie must not only face her own demons and compete with one of the fiercest rising stars in the MMA world, but also fight to become the mother her child deserves.

Berry, who is currently in production on John Wick 3: Parabellum opposite Keanu Reeves, will re-team with John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk of Thunder Road Pictures on Bruised, along with Entertainment 360 and Linda Gottlieb. The project will also reunite Berry with the team behind the fight choreography in John Wick.

Berry is currently busy, between her directorial debut with Bruised, a juicy, top-billed role in the highly anticipated John Wick 3, and a starring role in Sony’s forthcoming reboot of the 1985 thriller Jagged Edge. Her acting career has hit a few rough patches (i.e., Catwoman) since she made history as the first Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar for Monster’s Ball in 2001, a performance which Paste’s Josh Jackson named among the best of the 2000s, but she seems to be on quite the rebound lately. Hopefully, Berry’s forthcoming projects will live up to her considerable talent, as well.

Production starts on Bruised next March, financed by Riverstone with Erica Lee serving as executive producer.