Tiffany Haddish To Portray Olympic Icon Florence Griffith Joyner In New Biopic

Tiffany Haddish is set to produce and star in a game1 biopic about track and field icon Florence Griffith Joyner, who was also known by her nickname Flo-Jo. According to Deadline, which broke the news on Thursday (June 3), Haddish will portray the stylish, 3x Olympic Gold-winner; who Haddish said was one of her heroes growing up.

“I am looking forward to telling Flo-Jo’s story the way it should be told,” she told the outlet. “My goal with this film is making sure that younger generations know my ‘she-ro’ Flo-Jo, the fastest woman in the world to this day, existed.”

Deadline reports that the biopic will follow Flo-Jo’s early life, illustrious career and her untimely death at 38 years old. In 1995, Flo-Jo was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame and the world records she set for the 100-meter and 200-meter dash still stand today. The film will tell “her historic feats, but also her enduring impact on the entire world of sports and in the communities that needed her help and inspiration the most,” Deadline adds.

Triple jump champion and Flo-Jo’s husband, Al Joyner, will also serve as a co-producer on the film. According to the outlet, Al, who was also Flo-Jo’s coach, has already begun training Haddish in preparation to play the role.

“I am so elated to team up with game1 and Tiffany Haddish on this project,” he said “Working with Tiffany has been a great pleasure — she is incredibly dedicated, focused and committed to portraying the spirit of Florence accurately, whose legacy of making a difference in the world will live on for generations to come. I hope that this film touches all who see it and inspires people to be the change the world so desperately needs right now!”

game1 EVP of Production Therese Andrews is spearheading the biopic and Basil Iwanyk and Greg Economou will also produce.

“We are thrilled to partner with Tiffany on such an important project,” Iwanyk said. “Tiffany has established herself as one of the greatest entertainers in the world today – helping her tell the story of her idol Flo-Jo is an amazing honor and privilege.”

“This is storytelling at its best – a global superstar portraying and honoring another global superstar,” Economou added. “We are excited to attach relevant brands to participate in these projects and find the most powerful distribution partners for this project – for them to be associated with Tiffany and Flo-Jo is a golden opportunity.”

Besides the movie, Haddish and game1 will also produce a documentary series and podcast about Flo-Jo.

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