Eminem was supposed to star in the boxing movie Southpaw, but the Detroit Free Press (via HipHop-N-More) reports that the filming for Southpaw has been put on hold so Em can focus on his music.
The film is about a welterweight boxer who struggles to put his life and his career back together.
The boxing movie had applied, and then withdrew an application, for $8.9 million in Michigan film incentives. The application was withdrawn because of a "talent issue," according to the Michigan Film Office. That "talent" is Eminem.
A spokesman for Eminem, Dennis Dennehy, says, "He’s focusing on his music right now, so while he’s doing that, while he’s in that space, he wanted to put this on hold for the time being."
Paul Rosenberg, Eminem's manager, is also listed as a producer of the film, as well as Stuart Parr, who co-produced Em's 8 Mile.
The delay doesn't mean the film won't be shot in Detroit, Dennehy says, "What I’m told is when the film does get made, the plan is that the bulk of it will be shot in Michigan. That was always the understanding."
