Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes Information

Battle of the Sexes is a 2017 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Simon Beaufoy. The plot is loosely based on the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The film stars Emma Stone and Steve Carell as King and Riggs, respectively, with Andrea Riseborough, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell and Sarah Silverman in supporting roles.

The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2017 and is scheduled to be released in the United States on September 22, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Cast

Emma Stone as Billie Jean King
Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs
Andrea Riseborough as Marilyn Barnett, King's hairdresser and lover
Sarah Silverman as Gladys Heldman, the founder of World Tennis magazine
Bill Pullman as Jack Kramer
Alan Cumming as Ted Tinling, King's fashion designer and close friend
Elisabeth Shue as Priscilla Wheelan, Riggs"?s wife
Austin Stowell as Larry King, King's husband
Natalie Morales as Rosie Casals, a tennis player
Eric Christian Olsen as Lornie Kuhle, a younger tennis pro and friend of Riggs, who becomes his advisor
Lewis Pullman as Larry Riggs, Riggs"?s son
Jessica McNamee as Margaret Court
Martha MacIsaac as Jane Bartkowicz
Wallace Langham as Henry
Mark Harelik as Hank Greenberg
Fred Armisen
Chris Parnell

Production

The project, and the two leads, was announced in April 2015. Brie Larson was, for a brief period, set to replace Stone due to scheduling incidents however these were cleared up leaving Stone in the King role. On March 3, 2016, Andrea Riseborough was cast to play Marilyn Barnett, the hairdresser and lover of King. Later that month three more were cast in the film: Elisabeth Shue as Riggs' wife; Austin Stowell as Larry King, Billie Jean's husband; and Sarah Silverman as Gladys Heldman, the founder of World Tennis magazine. Four actors joined the cast in April: Eric Christian Olsen as Lornie Kuhle, Jessica McNamee as Margaret Court, Alan Cumming as Ted Tinling, and Natalie Morales as Rosie Casals.

Principal photography on the film began in Los Angeles on April 13, 2016.

Release

It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2017. It will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2017 and the BFI London Film Festival on October 7, 2017.

The film is scheduled to have a limited release in the United States on September 22, 2017, before going wide the following week.

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.