Matt Hookings Tells the Story of the Birth of Boxing In 'Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher'

Matt Hookings wrote the screenplay, produced, and starred as Jem Belcher in a project that was 10 years in the making.

Available on Prime Video and starring Russell Crowe, the movie is highly emotional and packs a powerful punch.

Hookings, founder of Camelot Films, made his professional acting debut in the 2011 movie Resistance and is best known for his roles in the Alice Through the Looking Glass, Snow White and the Huntsman and Maleficent.

As the son of British Heavyweight Champion David “Bomber” Pearce (dubbed "The Welsh Rocky"), Hookings used relentless research—including watching 160 boxing movies—to get Prizefighter off the ground.

Hookings' dad once slept on a bench the night before the European championship fight because he had no money and no place to stay. Pearce tragically died in the year 2000 due to boxing-related injuries that he suffered during his career, but he was never forgotten: a statue of him stands tall in the city of Newport, Wales, where Hookings was born.