Giant: Prince Naseem film all you need to know: Where was it filmed? And how the Brendan Ingle and Naseem Hamed reconciliation has happened ‘in spirit’
Highly anticipated film Giant, a biopic about Prince Naseem’s journey to becoming world champion alongside his trainer, Brendan Ingle, hit UK cinemas this week.
The film starring Pierce Brosnan as Ingle and Amir El-Masry as Prince ‘Naz’ Naseem Hamed shows the story of how Hamed went from a seven-year-old growing up in Sheffield to becoming world champion by 21.
An integral part of this journey was down to his trainer and mentor, Brendan Ingle, who trained some of the world’s best boxers in a church hall in Wincobank, Sheffield.
Ingle was responsible for world champions such as Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter, and Kell Brook.
Sadly, Ingle and Hamed fell out at the height of Hamed’s global stardom and never managed to reconcile before Ingle’s death in 2018.
In a touching moment at the star-studded film premiere of Giant, Hamed was filmed embracing Brosnan, who plays Ingle in the film.
Brosnan says to Hamed: “Your Brendan is here in spirit.”
Where was Giant filmed?
Giant is set in Sheffield. It was originally scheduled to be shot in Malta until new tax incentives in the UK enabled all filming to be shot in Yorkshire and the rest of the UK.
Some of the exterior shots of the ‘Steel City’ were actually shot on Carr Lane in Bradford.
When it came to Ingle’s legendary gym being recreated in the film, this was shot inside a gym in Bermantofts and Harehills in Leeds.
The son of the late Ingle, Dominic Ingle, explained why the Sheffield church hall couldn't be used.
“It couldn’t be done in our gym because they needed to close it down for six weeks and we’ve got that many kids coming in that we just can’t stop the gym for filming, as big as it is,” he told BBC Radio Sheffield.
Other locations in Leeds include First Direct Arena and Arcade Club in Leeds.
The film’s production team, including Brosnan, spent a full day shooting on location at Arcade Club Leeds, the sister site of Arcade Club Bury, which is Europe’s largest free-play video and pinball arcade.
With the film’s tagline tracing Hamed’s journey “from the arcades of Sheffield to Madison Square Garden,” the arcade shots form a key part of the story, showcasing Hamed’s rise to fame from humble beginnings.
Arcade Club’s rows of original machines and distinctive industrial setting provide the backdrop for one of the film’s pivotal early scenes.
Its cabinets have previously been featured in major productions, including Ready Player One and Ghostbusters: Frozen Kingdom.
Arcade Club owner Andy Palmer said: “We only use original hardware across our venues, and that really matters.
“Productions know they’re getting the real thing, and that authenticity comes through on screen.”
Goldsborough Hall in Knaresborough was used as the set for Ingle’s home. Giant was supported by Screen Yorkshire's content fund.
Film reviews
Giant has received mixed reviews from pundits. Mark Kemode described it as ‘an odd little film.’
Others described it as the new ‘Rocky,’ perhaps that’s thanks to executive producer Sylvester Stallone.
Boxing coach and author Ben Doughty said: “The movie is about Brendan Ingle as much as it is about Naseem Hamed.”
Like other reviewers, he praised the acting but criticised the ‘dumbing down’ of the real story as well as questioning its authenticity.
Doughty said: “The rings looked too small for big-time boxing and much of the action resembled those YouTube videos of Sony PlayStation ‘fights.’
“I get that things need dumbing down for a mass audience but even then, they overdid the showboating.”
He added that despite reviews, “few true British boxing fans of a certain age will be able to resist it.”
Boxing promoter Frank Warren, who is depicted in Giant, shared the film to his millions of followers on social media.
He wrote: “The rise of a 𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒏.”
Warren added the ending of Giant, where the two embrace, “has the Prince Naz seal of approval.”
In a video Warren posted, Hamed said: “The last part of that film for me was classic and it captured the whole film.
“It captured the whole story. I said to the director - I only wish that could have happened in real life.”