Bosses at Open Road Films have acquired the rights to the movie for $4 million (GBP2.5 million) and are hoping to release it in time for awards season this year (15).

Bleed for This, which is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, tells the story of the boxer who was almost killed in a 1991 car crash and amazed medics by defying the odds and returning to boxing a year later (92).

Aaron Eckhart will play the fighter's legendary trainer Kevin Rooney in the film.

This is the second boxing film picked up at Cannes - Hands of Stone starring Edgar Ramirez as Roberto Duran, Robert De Niro as his trainer Ray Arcel and singer Usher as iconic fighter Sugar Ray Leonard was acquired by Harvey Weinstein's The Weinstein Company.