Halle Berry’s feature debut is packing a wallop at the Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix snagged worldwide rights to “Bruised” ahead of its world premiere at the fest, where the MMA drama is screening as a work in progress. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the streamer spent about $20 million for the pic, which is among the largest acquisition deals in festival history.
Written by Michelle Rosenfarb, “Bruised” tells the story of a disgraced MMA fighter determined to regain custody of her son and relaunch her career in the ring. Berry stars.
“As an actor, I always show up and do my part, and I can only do what I can do. Being the director, I have a part in the totality of every department,” Berry told Variety. “I get to have a voice. That was different, and I really loved that.”
Berry won an Oscar in 2002 for her leading role in “Monster’s Ball. She was the first — and remains the only — Black woman to win in that category. Berry recently spoke out about how the honor impacted her career trajectory. At the time, she thought that her historic win would be a game-changer for her career and the industry at large. “Just because I won an award doesn’t mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me,” she came to realize. “I was just continuing to forge a way out of no way.”
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “Kings,” and “Kidnap” are among Berry’s recent titles.
