Netflix Officially Says Goodbye to Russell Crowe’s ‘Rocky’ Replacement

Sports movies are often the best places to find the most invigorating, inspiring cinema. By its very nature, sport provides the perfect platform for zero-to-hero rises and legendary falls, with some of the very best proving just how valued the genre is. GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) rebuilt a legacy in Moneyball; the best sports franchise of all time was rebuilt for a new generation led by Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) in Creed; and the genre was perfected with the story of Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) in Raging Bull.

One of the most underrated sports movies of all time stars a Hollywood veteran as a former Irish-American boxer from New Jersey, who wins a one-off bout and begins a new career in the ring against the wishes of his frightened wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger). The film in question is Cinderella Man, which is based on a true story and is one of many touching tales from director Ron Howard. Russell Crowe (Gladiator) stars as James J. Braddock, with Zellweger as Mae Braddock, his wife; Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as Joe Gould; Craig Bierko (The Thirteenth Floor) as Max Baer; and Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz) as Mike Wilson.

Although it is one of the best sports movies of its era, Cinderella Man struggled to hit a knockout at the box office, earning a global haul of $108.5 million worldwide against an estimated $88 million budget​​​​​​. The film earned three Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Giamatti, and nods for Best Film Editing and Best Makeup. After proving a streaming hit previously, Cinderella Man is about to be knocked out of the catalog, as it is removed from Netflix on October 1, 2026.

Russell Crowe Is Getting Ring-Ready for a New Movie

+3

Hoping to get back into the shape he was in for Cinderella Man, Crowe will soon feature in Highlander, John Wick director Chad Stahelski's remake of the 1986 Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery-led film of the same name. Former Superman Henry Cavill, Dave Bautista (The Wrecking Crew), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), and Marisa Abela (Industry) join Crowe in a stacked lineup.