Orlando Bloom Discusses Dangerous Weight-Cut For New Boxing Drama The Cut

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Orlando Bloom Discusses Dangerous Weight-Cut For New Boxing Drama The Cut

As a seasoned cinephile who’s seen my fair share of boxing dramas, I must say that Orlando Bloom‘s transformation for “The Cut” is nothing short of astounding. The dedication and commitment he’s shown to portray a professional boxer, particularly the grueling weight cut aspect, is truly commendable.

In many films, actors have portrayed boxers on the silver screen, but Orlando Bloom, starring in the upcoming drama “The Cut“, encountered a distinct challenge while preparing for his role. Unlike traditional boxing dramas, which typically follow an underdog story of an unranked fighter striving towards a championship belt, “The Cut” focuses on a less-discussed aspect of professional boxing: the demanding weight cut. Most boxing movies concentrate on their tough childhoods, fast-forwarding to intense training sequences and climactic fights, but they often overlook the physically taxing process of losing weight before a fight, which is what “The Cut” aims to address.

At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, director Sean Ellis and Orlando Bloom talked about their upcoming movie during an interview with Variety. The film centers on Bloom’s character, a boxer struggling to shed weight for a major bout, under the watch of his questionable coach (portrayed by John Turturro). Fortunately, Bloom had some time to get in shape for the role, unlike having to drop weight in just 24 hours. However, even as a physically fit actor, Bloom lost approximately 52 pounds to convincingly portray a boxer aiming to compete in a lower weight class. When asked about his preparation, Bloom shared:

Over the course of three months leading up to filming, I gradually reduced my food intake until I reached my lightest point. Initially weighing approximately 185 pounds, I managed to shed an impressive 52 pounds. Needless to say, this was quite a transformation for me, and it posed a significant mental challenge. After all, one can only eat tuna and cucumbers for so long…

Sean Ellis Shot The Cut in Reverse Chronological Order

Film productions frequently don’t follow a sequential order due to various factors such as location constraints, unpredictable weather, and actors’ schedules. It’s quite unusual for a movie to be filmed in reverse chronological order. To facilitate Orlando Bloom’s physical transformation in the film The Cut, director Sean Ellis opted for this unique approach. The scenes where Bloom was at his lightest weight were filmed first, enabling the actor to gradually gain weight during the remainder of the production process.

In the course of our conversation, Ellis outlined an unconventional approach. The manager expressed doubt that Bloom could focus effectively on acting while adhering to such a stringent diet regime. Put simply, he stated it would be too challenging for Bloom.

The individual was in a state of energy deprivation due to his diet. Consequently, working during this time seemed challenging for him. When he approached us at his lowest weight, our approach to filming had to be adjusted accordingly. We filmed the ending first and then the beginning of the movie later. Over the 25 days we spent shooting, he was gradually regaining calories, and these scenes were edited in reverse order.

At the Toronto International Film Festival, the film The Cut had its debut. As reported by Bloom, the raw portrayal of the fight industry in the movie was intense to the point that it overwhelmed some viewers. The movie is said to depict Bloom’s character using blood-draining methods and diuretics to lose weight for matches. Bloom himself stated, “Someone in my row fainted!” Later, Sean Ellis corroborated this account, acknowledging that such an incident had indeed occurred.

“Yeah, we had a fainter. I think we’ve got to put that on the film poster.”

No theatrical release date has been announced for
The Cut
.

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2024-09-09 17:01