Netflix in Talks to Acquire Halle Berry’s ‘Bruised’ in 8-Figure Deal

Berry’s directorial debut is a drama about a former MMA fighter struggling to regain custody of her son and restart her athletic career

Bruised Halle Berry
Romulus Entertainment/Thunder Road Pictures

Netflix is in talks to acquire Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” in an eight-figure deal for worldwide rights, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

Berry’s directorial debut is a mixed martial arts drama that centers on a former MMA fighter struggling to regain custody of her son and restart her athletic career. According to Toronto International Film Festival website, Jackie “Justice” (Berry) has been working multiple jobs and barely scraping by ever since losing an important match years ago. When her boyfriend, Desi (Adan Canto), manages to trick her into going to an underground fight, her passion for the sport is reignited. As Jackie prepares to go back to “the only thing she is good at,” the son she once abandoned is dropped off at her doorstep. Confronted by her past choices and traumas, Jackie will have to fight to reclaim the two most meaningful things she has walked away from: six-year-old Manny and an MMA title.

The Netflix acquisition would be the first major deal at TIFF in which the streamer got a preemptive look at the film screening at the festival as a work in progress. Endeavor Content is repping the filmmakers in the deal. Multiple outlets are reporting the sale would be in the high teens and close to $20 million. Sierra/Affinity is repping international rights.

Berry stars in the film along with Adan Canto, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Sheila Atim. “Bruised” was written by Michelle Rosenfarb. Producers are Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Brad Feinstein, Guymon Casady, Terry Dougas, Linda Gottlieb, Gillian Hormel, and Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis.

Deadline first reported the news.

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