Taglines: He made a bet. She made history.
In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women’s movement, the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men’s-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the BATTLE OF THE SEXES and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles.
The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
Battle of the Sexes is a 2017 American biographical 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, with Andrea Riseborough, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, Bill Pullman, and Sarah Silverman in supporting roles.
The film had its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States by Fox Searchlight Pictures on September 22, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Stone and Carell, with some calling it the best performance of Stone’s career. Both Carell and Stone earned Golden Globe nominations for their work.
As of December 19, 2017, Battle of the Sexes has grossed $12.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $17.8 million. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $515,450 from 21 theaters, an average of $24,545 per theater. The film expanded the following Friday, where it was released alongside the openings of Flatliners, ‘Til Death Do Us Part and American Made, and was projected to gross around $6 million from 1,213 theaters over the weekend. It ended up making $3.4 million over the weekend, finishing 6th at the box office.
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Directed by: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, Eric Christian Olsen, Martha MacIsaac, Jessica McNamee, Fidan Manashirova
Screenplay by: Simon Beaufoy
Production Design by: Judy Becker
Cinematography by: Linus Sandgren
Film Editing by: Pamela Martin
Costume Design by: Mary Zophres
Set Decoration by: Matthew Flood Ferguson
Art Direction by: Alexander Wei
Music by: Nicholas Britell
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity.
Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: September 22, 2017
