On a chilly January evening in London, the red carpet outside the premiere of Giant glistened under the city lights, as fans and press gathered to witness the unveiling of a film that promised to revisit one of boxing’s most electrifying stories. The movie, released in UK cinemas on January 9, 2026, charts the meteoric rise of “Prince” Naseem Hamed, a British-Yemeni boxer whose flamboyant style and fearless confidence made him a household name in the 1990s. But as much as Giant is about Hamed’s exploits in the ring, it’s also a story of mentorship, ambition, and the complicated bond between a young athlete and his legendary trainer, Brendan Ingle.
Pierce Brosnan, best known for his iconic turn as James Bond, arrived at the London premiere with a certain 007 swagger, but this time his mission was different. Brosnan takes on the role of Brendan Ingle, the Irish-born trainer who guided four boxers to world titles, including the irrepressible Hamed. According to BBC, Brosnan’s portrayal has been met with pride by Ingle’s family, who expressed deep emotion at seeing their late patriarch depicted on the big screen. “I got quite emotional seeing the film poster on the bus in Sheffield, it’s a weird feeling,” said Tara Ingle, Brendan’s daughter. “I just wish he could see all this – he’d be amazed that someone had made a film about him.”
Amir El-Masry, a rising star with credits in A Haunting in Venice, Industry, and The Night Manager, steps into the role of Naseem Hamed. To capture the boxer’s journey from precocious child to world champion, the film features multiple actors: Ghaith Saleh as Hamed at age seven, Ali Saleh at age twelve, and El-Masry as the adult champion. The film’s cast is rounded out by Katherine Dow Blyton, Olivia Barrowclough, Elika Ashoori, Austin Haynes, Rocco Haynes, Oliver Joseph Brooke, Arian Nik, Kelvin Ade, and Mehdi Mangoli. As reported by Sky Sports, Hamed himself was moved watching Giant for the first time, reflecting on the “huge part” Ingle played in his life and career.
The story that Giant tells is not just one of triumph, but also of struggle and complexity. Hamed, the son of Yemeni immigrants, grew up in a working-class family in Sheffield and was introduced to boxing by his father at the tender age of seven. By twenty, he was European champion; by twenty-one, a world champion. Yet, as The Telegraph notes, the relationship between Hamed and Ingle was far from straightforward. Ingle, who ran his gym out of an old church hall in Sheffield’s Wincobank neighborhood, was more than just a trainer. He was a mentor—and sometimes, a father figure. But as Hamed’s star rose, tensions grew, particularly around issues of money and recognition. The film doesn’t shy away from these conflicts, portraying the “professional marriage” between the two men as one that ended in a bitter split.
Writer-director Rowan Athale, himself a Barnsley native, felt the weight of responsibility to get the details right. “The first time I went to meet Dom Ingle, around 15 people suddenly emerged at the gym keen to tell their Brendan stories,” Athale recalled to BBC. “It was at that point I realised just how much he meant to so many people – I saw it in their eyes.” Athale’s script, inspired by two books from Edge Hill University psychology professor Geoff Beattie (who trained at the same gym as Hamed), delves into the emotional highs and lows of the duo’s partnership. The film’s executive producer, none other than Rocky star Sylvester Stallone, brings a fittingly cinematic touch to the project. Tara Ingle reflected, “[Brendan] loved Rocky, we always got dragged out to a Rocky film as kids.”
For the Ingle family, the film’s release has been a moment of pride and reflection. Brendan Ingle, who died in 2018 at age 77 following a brain hemorrhage, was awarded an MBE in 1998 for his services to boxing and the community. His sons, Dominic and John, have continued his legacy, training world champions like Kell Brook and Billy Joe Saunders. The Ingle Gym remains a cornerstone of Sheffield’s sporting culture, and a special screening of Giant at The Light cinema in Sheffield drew a crowd of relatives, former fighters, and local fans. A Q&A session with El-Masry and Athale followed, giving attendees a chance to hear firsthand about the making of the film and the legacy of the characters it portrays.
As The Telegraph observes, the film’s creative cinematography and energetic direction keep the boxing scenes fresh and engaging, while Brosnan and El-Masry’s performances bring emotional depth to their roles. Toby Stephens delivers a memorable turn as promoter Frank Warren, capturing the brash, fast-paced culture of 1990s British boxing. The film’s final act, focusing on missed opportunities for reconciliation between Hamed and Ingle, is particularly poignant. “In the end, the word ‘sorry’ carries remarkable weight,” the review notes. “The last act is a series of missed opportunities to say it, or rehearsals for doing so. It’s very much the point of Athale’s screenplay that life was too short for such a grudge after the epic association these men had.”
For Hamed, watching his life unfold on screen was a chance to revisit a formative, if sometimes fraught, chapter. According to Sky Sports, he described his relationship with Ingle as both influential and complicated—a sentiment echoed by many who witnessed their partnership firsthand. The film doesn’t gloss over the challenges, but it does celebrate the magic that can occur when talent meets guidance, and when ambition is tempered by discipline and belief.
In the end, Giant stands as both a tribute to the indomitable spirit of Prince Naseem Hamed and a heartfelt homage to the man who helped shape him. It’s a story of triumph, tension, and, ultimately, the enduring impact of mentorship—told with energy, empathy, and a keen eye for the drama at the heart of sport.
