Thursday, January 15, 2009 So: Pacman in a movie with Stallone? By Michelle P. So Caught in the Net
FOR those who never believed in Manny Pacquaio as an actor, watch out. Hollywood talks are afoot to have him star in a movie with Rocky Balboa aka Rambo aka Sylvester Stallone.
If Manny hasn’t been making it as an actor in Philippine cinema, he might yet find his star in Hollywood. The great Sly Stallone, whose box office movies required little dialogue but plenty of brawn and blood on the face, is reported to have signified interest to have Manny in one of his movies.
I got this information from the reliable showbiz news source, Sun.Star Cebu Superbalita, in its issue yesterday. The Superbalita story quoted a website that reported about the meeting between Pac and Sly in Stallone’s office in Los Angeles. The website, ABS-CBN.com, quoted Manny’s business manager Eric Pineda who narrated what transpired at the meeting.
The report did not give a date of the meeting but it probably happened while Pacquiao was in the US for the Christmas holidays and just after his fight against Oscar de la Hoya.
It was Pacquiao who went to Stallone’s office. He brought with him his two sons, whom Sly gifted with Tony Carver-signed boxing gloves. Tony Carver is the former light-heavyweight champion who fought Stallone in the latest Rocky movie.
The report did not say what Pacquiao gave Stallone but given Pacman’s penchant for showbiz, the Pinoy boxer probably gifted the Hollywood star with a complete DVD set of his five movies—“Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin,” “Mahal Kita… Kahit Sino Ka Pa,” “Basagan ng Mukha,” “Lisensyadong Kamao” and “Anak ng Kumander.”
Manny, knowing Sly doesn’t understand Tagalog, probably had his movies subtitled in English. One never knows Hollywood film distributors would take interest in his old movies if he becomes a Hollywood star like Jackie Chan.
This Pacquiao-Stallone movie Sly had in mind would be something like “Rush Hour,” an action-packed comedy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. “It’s not a boxing movie,” Pacman’s business manager Pineda was quoted as saying. “Everything is in the planning stage but what’s certain is that Sylvester Stallone wants Manny Pacquiao in the movie as one of the co-stars.”
Wow. Not even FPJ, who boxed the kontrabidas like he had a quota to meet, ever got such an offer from the great Sly Stallone. But Pacquiao? This little guy, whose looks are not exactly pang-bida but whose body is pang-GQ, is being pursued by Stallone to do a movie with him.
The report did not say who initiated the meeting and if Stallone had watched the Manny-Oscar fight. It is most likely Stallone did. Other reports said a number of Hollywood celebrities had ringside seats, among them Russell Crowe, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Eva Longoria, Mark Wahlberg, Usher, Will Ferrell and Will.i.am. But they were there not for Pacquiao but for de la Hoya who, like Manny, hobnobs with showbiz celebs.
If the movie with Stallone pushes through, I don’t expect it to be one that will require Pacquiao to emote ala Leonardo di Caprio. I hope he doesn’t offer to sing the theme song of the movie.
In the meantime, Pacman is expending his energy on basketball. He was scheduled to play last night in the Liga Pilipinas at the General Santos City gym. His position: starting point guard.
