Catherine Hardwicke Trades Tweeny Fantasies for Gritty Fighter Flick

Twilight director announces her next film, the true story of a Swedish boxer, costarring Noomi Rapace!

By Aly Weisman Jun 30, 2011 7:34 PMTags
Catherine HardwickeJohn Shearer/WireImage

Catherine Hardwicke is saying see ya, Twilight, toodeloo, Little Red Riding Hood, and hello, untitled biopic of the colorful Swedish boxer Bo "Bosse" Högberg.

Come again?

That's right, adios fantasy lands. No vampires or werewolves here! Welcome back to the real world, Cath!

Hardwicke's next flick will tackle the life of the troubled boxer who was as famous for his powerful punches as he was for his partying ways.

"It's a very fun, very crazy story that goes back to more of my Thirteen days. It's more indie, raw and gritty, and it's a true story," Hardwicke told Collider earlier this month of the Scandinavian production that will shoot this fall and is hoping for a 2012 release date.

So other than keeping her feet firmly planted on this planet, what will be Hardwicke's biggest challenge on set?

Directing a real-life divorced couple as the romantic leads in the film!

Ola Rapace, who has been training for the film for the past four years, will be playing the part of Bo, while his ex-wife, Noomi Rapace, aka the original Lisbeth Salander from the film adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo franchise, will be playing Bo's wife, famous Swedish singer Anita Lindblom.

The Rapace duo married in 2001, had a son, Lev, in 2003 and then in 2010 filed for divorce.

A divorced couple working together mixed with the film's plot of fighting, romance, alcoholism and legal troubles—should make for an interesting on-set experience, to say the least!

The flick is based on the Swedish book, Kontringen (Counter Attack) and document's the boxer's rise from working class roots to winning the light-middleweight title in 1966 at the age of 28, only to lose it three weeks later.

Nice pick, Hardwicke. Now let's just work on getting our favorite Swede, Alexander Skarsgård (duh) a sexy, sweaty, shirtless role in this flick!