Jamie Foxx stepping into the ring to portray Mike Tyson
The long-discussed feature film about Mike Tyson’s life and career is a go, says the man at the center of the story.
“It’s on, as of right now,” Tyson said Friday afternoon during an interview at SPI Entertainment’s offices in Green Valley. “Jamie Foxx has signed on for it. Filming hasn’t started yet, but it’s going to happen.”
Foxx is set to portray Tyson, and Martin Scorsese has signed on to direct the biopic.
Tyson says he expects Foxx to come see his new show “Undisputed Truth: Round 2” at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at the MGM Grand.
Reports of the film first surfaced in 2014. In January, Foxx said the project was still on and that he was looking forward to working with Scorsese, who directed Robert De Niro to an Oscar-winning performance in “Raging Bull,” the life story o boxing legend Jake LaMotta.
For this still-untitled film, Tyson has some advice for Foxx, who also won an Oscar as Ray Charles in “Ray.”
“Be abstract and expect to do the abnormal,” Tyson said, adding that he would be “a little bit nervous” having his life story splashed across the big screen.
As Tyson said in classic understatement, “A lot of people aren’t going to like the things I’ve done in my life.”
JLY to the Space
John Lloyd Young, who won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys,” is booked at the Space at 8 p.m. on Dec. 8-9 (tickets are $45 and on sale at the Space website.)
Young also starred as Valli in the 2014 film adaptation of the musical. The Las Vegas version of the show, which starred Graham Fenton and Travis Cloer alternating the Valli role, closed last September at Paris Las Vegas.
Ascribe to the bribe?
The cast of “Miss Behave Game Show” at The Back Space at Bally’s picked up an extra $300 on Thursday night as the competition heated up.
In the show’s format, the audience is split between sections labeled “iPhones” and “Others.” A pair of high rollers in the “Others” contingent threw money at the stage, enticing host Amy Saunders to add points to that team’s total.
The final take was $300, but Saunders says the outlay was considered a gratuity rather than a straight bribe, saying, “Money don’t buy a damn thing in this room.” But the Others did win the event, thanks to some adept banana-eating at the close of the competition. If you don’t get the reference, see the show.
What Works In Vegas
Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee at Piano Bar at Harrah’s. His three afternoon sets drew a total of 760 fans to the free-admission show … Tyson’s show at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, which sold out its opener Thursday night.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.