Fox Searchlight
"Battle of the Sexes."
In 1973, retired tennis pro Bobby Riggs, once the No. 1 tennis player in the world, came up with a clever way to promote himself (and earn some cash): He would play tennis against female pros, who he publicly said were inferior and whom he could beat at 55 years old.This led to a nationally televised match dubbed the "Battle of the Sexes" between Riggs and Billy Jean King. King went on to win the match, which become a landmark moment for gender equality.
Fox Searchlight is now coming out with a movie that looks at the match and what led to it, called "Battle of the Sexes," starring recent Oscar winner Emma Stone as King and Steve Carell as Riggs.
Both actors look perfectly cast for the roles of the outlandish Riggs and the reserved King. The trailer shows the movie as a commentary on the male-dominated world of that era. Riggs spouts absurdly sexist things, such as, "I am not saying that women do not belong on the court. Who would pick up the balls otherwise?"
Meanwhile, Stone's King knows that if she can win a match against Riggs, it would be a step closer to women being treated with more respect not just in her sport but in every career.
Watch the trailer below. The movie will be out in theaters September 22.