According to Deadline, Malachi Beasley is stepping into the ring—literally. The rising actor is set to star opposite Jamie Foxx in Fight for ’84, Netflix’s upcoming sports drama centered around the rebuilding of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team.
Set in 1980, the film follows the tragic aftermath of a plane crash that kills the entire Olympic boxing team. Foxx stars as a new coach brought in to build a team from scratch and lead them to glory at the 1984 Olympics—where they’d go on to win the most medals in U.S. Olympic boxing history.
Fight for ’84 is directed by Andrés Baiz and written by Oscar nominees Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton), John Gatins (Flight), and Andy Weiss (White Boy Rick). The film reunites Baiz with producer Eric Newman, the duo behind Netflix hits Griselda and Narcos.
Beasley’s casting marks another major milestone in his career. A graduate of the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, he’ll also be seen in Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite—his first job out of school.
Foxx also serves as producer alongside Newman (Grand Electric), Bryan Unkeless (Night Owl), and Michael W. Abbott for A Move Films. Additional producers include Andy Weiss for A WeBros Entertainment, Henry Tillman, and Datari Turner.
Netflix first unveiled the project during its 2025 upfront presentation in May. The streamer has yet to release a premiere date.
Foxx, who continues his long-standing relationship with Netflix, recently starred in the action comedy Back in Action opposite Cameron Diaz and debuted his stand-up special Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… on the platform last year.