Letitia Wright has been cast as the lead in In the Shadows, a drama based on the true story of Ramla Ali. Ali is the first Somali British professional boxing champion. The film is being unveiled to buyers by Altitude Film Sales at Cannes and is set to be released in the UK and Ireland in 2024.
The movie will tell the inspiring story of Ali, who fled Somalia with her family as a young girl seeking asylum in London from the civil war. Despite her family’s disapproval, Ali pursued her love of boxing as a teenager and went on to win the England Novice National Championship, the Elite National Championships, and the Great British Championships. Ali made history as the first boxer, male or female, to represent Somalia at the 2020 Olympic Games and also won the first-ever professional female boxing match in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Wonke, known for his work on Dettori and Syria: Children on the Frontline, will direct the film from a script by Ursula Rani Sarma. The project was initially developed with Film4 and will be produced by Lee Magiday of Sleeper Films and Madeline Sanderson of Curate Films, alongside Wright and her production company 3.16 Productions.
In a statement, Ali expressed her excitement for the project and Wright’s portrayal of her, saying, “There is no other soul on this earth that would do the film justice like Letitia will.” Wright, who is known for her strong on-screen presence and acting skills, expressed her own admiration for Ali, calling her “an incredible woman of strength, dedication and perseverance” and saying that she is “excited for audiences to experience her story.”
Wright is represented by Jason Sloane and Harris Hartman of Sloane Offer Weber & Dern LLP, while Wonke and Sarma are represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Artists First.
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