Steve Carell and Emma Stone to Star in BATTLE OF THE SEXES Movie

Deadline writes that Steve Carell and Emma Stone will star in Fox Searchlight's BATTLE OF THE SEXES, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Carell will play Bobby Riggs opposite Stone as Billie Jean King.

From a script by Simon Beaufoy (with cooperation from King), BATTLE OF THE SEXES centers on "the subject of gender and what a woman is capable of" and is aiming for a 2016 release.

The film is described as "a comedy with dramatic and political overtones" and a "quirky warm and engaging" retelling of King and Riggs' match in 1973, when 29-year-old tennis star King beat 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion Riggs. "King and Riggs became the representatives for their gender, even though each was a complicated person trying to figure out their place in the world," Deadline writes.

Carell last appeared on the big screen in FOXCATCHER and ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. He will soon be seen in FREEHOLD and THE BIG SHORT. Among his past credits are the DESPICABLE ME movies, the long-running TV comedy THE OFFICE and more. Carell also starred with Stone in CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE in 2011.

Stone, who made her Broadway debut in CABARET last year, is currently in talks to to star in a new "song-and-dance romance" titled LA LA LAND. Among her past film credits are BIRDLAND, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN movies, THE CROODS, CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE, EASY A, ZOMBIELAND, SUPERBAD and more.

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