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Former EastEnders star Ray Panthaki has revealed he's set to 'knock out' a biopic about British boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed.
Ray, who recently appeared alongside Stephen Graham in Boiling Point, will swap being in front of the camera for a role behind-the-scenes, with his production Le Bateau Lavoir being responsible for the film.
He's no stranger to producing content, working on The Man Inside, Convenience and Boiling Point as an executive producer.
In recent years, Ray has appeared in the likes of DCI Banks, Gangs of London and Kidulthood.
The upcoming film will document the early stages of Prince Naseem's life, growing up in Sheffield, West Yorks.
According to US-based showbiz site The Hollywood Reporter, the film will chart the humble beginnings of the flamboyant, cocky boxer who went from a working-class second-generation immigrant to one of the sport's best-known stars during the 1990s.
Panthaki's business partner on Le Bateau Lavoir is fellow producer Daniel Khalili, who said of the Naz movie, "We're honoured to be working closely with Naz and his team, who have trusted us with sharing his legacy.
"This is not just a British story, it’s an international story of how a Yemeni immigrant took on the boxing world against all odds, and we know it will resonate with audiences universally."
Panthaki, who played Ronny in 153 episodes of the BBC's long-running Walford-set soap, can next be seen on our screens in a period drama based in the 16th century.
Ray will appear in The Serpent Queen acting alongside Samantha Morton, who stars as French Renaissance monarch Catherine De Medici.
The eight-episode series will be broadcast on the Starz channel and also features Charles Dance and Colm Meaney.
In the series, Panthaki will play Charles Guise, a sinister Catholic cardinal who is described as "intelligent, politically deft, athletically gifted and devastatingly handsome."
Meanwhile, Le Bateau Lavoir’s other projects will also feature a screen version of The Golden Spruce, the best-selling, award-winning 2005 book which told the tale of a Canadian logger turned eco-terrorist who took a stand against the billion-dollar industry to which he once belonged.
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- Eastenders
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