4/13/2016

First Look At Emma Stone And Steve Carell As Tennis Rivals In 'Battle Of The Sexes'

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There are multiple films on the way about the famous 1973 tennis match between feminist icon Billie Jean King and the boorish Bobby Riggs, but the first to actually get in front of cameras is Battle of the Sexes. It also happens to the one with the greatest amount of star power, and now we're getting a look at Steve Carell and Emma Stone as the fierce tennis rivals.

Directed by Little Miss Sunshine's Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris from a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), the film centers on the match that became part of the cultural zeitgeist of the 1970s. King was the #1 ranked women's player in the world, but at the time she was dealing with personal issues surrounding her sexuality. And then there was the retired Riggs, who had been on a chauvinist tear challenging female players to matches. The contest between King and Riggs would spark the national discussion about gender equality and became one of the most-watched sporting events ever.

Also starring Elisabeth Shue, Andrea Riseborough, Alan Cumming, Austin Stowell, Natalie Morales, Mickey Sumner, Bill Pullman, and Sarah Silverman, Battle of the Sexes opens in 2017. Check out the original image from the 1973 press conference below, along with King's tweet about the comparison!