In the world of combat sports and sports entertainment, Ronda Rousey is a certified crossover star.
The Olympic gold medalist was a trailblazer for female athletes in the UFC, appearing in the first women’s fight at UFC 157. Winning the fight against Liz Carmouche, Rousey became both the first female UFC champion and inaugural women’s bantamweight champion.
After retiring from MMA, Rousey signed with WWE in 2018. She would go on to make her debut on the grandest stage of them all: WrestleMania. Rousey won the women’s world championship three times in WWE before leaving the company in 2023. One of the world’s leading female athletes, Rousey’s popularity has endured long after leaving the mat behind.
Rousey’s transition to WWE made sense, having gained acclaim for introducing trash-talking to women’s MMA early in her career. It was an aspect to Rousey’s image that wasn’t lost on Hollywood.
Since moving more towards entertainment, Rousey has appeared in a number of films. Notably, these have included roles in the popular Expendables and Fast & Furious franchises. And it seems that Rousey’s dream Hollywood project has just taken a massive step towards becoming a reality with the acquisition of a key talent.
As revealed through her Instagram, Rousey has secured a director for her upcoming biopic. Augustine Frizzell will direct the movie, which is Netflix-owned and produced by the revered Chernin Entertainment. “Another step closer to making this dream a reality,” wrote Rousey in the post, sharing a headline and image featuring herself and Frizzell.
View this post on Instagram
Frizzell has directed two feature films: Never Goin’ Back (2018) and The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021). She is also attached to direct the Ryan Reynolds-starring project Stoned Alone (TBA). Notably, Frizzell also directed the pilot episode of HBO’s wildly popular teen drama series Euphoria, which stars Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi, among others.
Frizzell is also a huge Ronda Rousey fan. The director reportedly read both of her biographical books before even being considered for the project. The American director also puts her passion into practice, training in Muay Thai in her spare time.
Meanwhile, a number of Rousey’s 17 million followers shared their excitement at the news in the comments of the post. “Keep rising fierce mama!” wrote one user. “I can’t wait,” wrote another. Rousey even gained support from a former WWE colleague and close friend. “Proud of you!” added WWE superstar Natalya, who trained Rousey before she debuted for the promotion.
What will the Ronda Rousey biopic cover?
The two biographical books in question, My Fight/Your Fight and Our Fight, will provide much of the bedrock for the film. My Fight/Your Fight details Rousey’s Olympic and UFC triumphs. Our Fight, on the other hand, is a little more sobering. It explores Rousey’s loss to Holly Holm and her experiences as a WWE superstar.
Having co-written the books with her sister, Maria Burns Ortiz, Rousey teamed up with Ortiz once again to pen the script for the film. Ahead of writing her debut script, Rousey met with Endeavor’s creative department to learn about screenwriting techniques and approaches. Endeavor currently owns TKO, the parent company of WWE and the UFC.
Not one to slow down, Rousey is also set to release a graphic novel in October. Titled ‘Expecting the Unexpected’, the main characters will be based on her and her husband and former UFC star, Travis Browne.
