EXCLUSIVE: 011films and Ventureland are partnering on what promises to be the definitive documentary on undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
We’re told post-production is underway in Rome on the film directed and produced by Pablo Benedetti, who gained access to the Ukrainian powerhouse across a span of five years, following the star athlete inside and outside the ring. Usyk, gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, became the first boxer to simultaneously hold titles from boxing’s four top sanctioning bodies — the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, and World Boxing Organization.
Boxer Oleksandr Usyk (left) with director Pablo Benedetti
001films/Ventureland
Benedetti’s documentary, expected to be released in 2025, will reveal the champion “at home, with his family and teammates in Ukraine – including during the war – as well as in many countries around the world,” according to a release. “The film will feature pivotal moments in Usyk’s life and storied career as well as documenting all of the highs and lows in the locker room before and after all his most important fights of the last five years, including those for the world title against Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury.”
In a statement, Benedetti commented, “As a director, telling stories is a great responsibility, and I am proud to have this privilege. With Usyk, there was an instant, magical spark; it doesn’t happen often—in fact, it’s rare—but when it does, you immediately sense that, somehow, that story was waiting for you as much as you were searching for it. For me, it has become more of a mission every day, one to which I am dedicating all of my energy and life with sacrifice. Usyk’s story is not just a perfect screenplay; it is an eternal parable of humanity and sport for everyone.”
Oleksandr Usyk (left) fights Tyson Fury during the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO and Undisputed Heavyweight titles’ bout on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Standing 6’3”, with a reach of 78”, Usyk has compiled a professional record of 22-0, with 14 of his victories coming by knockout. The southpaw from Shypyntsi, Ukraine coincidentally shares a birthday – January 17 – with the late Muhammad Ali.
“I was in Kyiv, and when my brother Serhii called me, he said, ‘Listen, there’s a person living in Italy, he’s a director, and he could make an amazing documentary about you—not just about boxing, but about your whole life,’” Usyk recalled. “When we connected via video call, I was at a restaurant with friends. I stepped outside to join the conversation… I don’t know why, but I believed in Pablo, in the idea that he would create something incredible. He became like a brother to me, part of my family.”
011films is an award-winning Italian production company that has debuted feature films and documentaries at the world’s most prestigious film festivals — Berlin, Venice and Cannes — and distributed internationally since 2006. 011films’ Davide Sordella and Ventureland’s John Battsek are producing the Usyk documentary alongside Benedetti.
Oleksandr Usyk weighs in before fighting Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
“It was a unique opportunity for us to productively support this human and sporting adventure from Kyiv to Ryad, passing through the UK, Spain, Turkey, Greece, UAE,” said Sordella. “A long journey that allowed us and the spectator to become part of a big family, Usyk’s family,”
Ventureland, the company founded by Kerstin Emhoff, Battsek, and Ali Brown, specializes in the development of original entertainment across all media platforms, including theatrical, streaming, podcasts, and more. Battsek, a multiple Emmy winner, earned a 2024 Academy Award nomination for producing National Geographic’s Bobi Wine: The People’s President.
“Oleksandr Usyk hearkens back to the golden era of heavyweight Champions,” Battsek noted. “No fuss, no BS, just rock-solid top level unparalleled boxing skills. His story is dramatic, emotional and incredibly exciting and I am honored to be part of the team entrusted by Oleksandr to make this film.”
011films, based in Florence and Turin, was founded by Sordella and Benedetti, who both studied at the London Film School. Fratelli di Sangue, the company’s first feature film, was presented at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. Their second production, Corazones de Mujer, premiered at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. Additional credits include the 2019 sports documentary El Numero Nueve, about Argentinean footballer Gabriel Batistuta. In 2021, they produced Florence in a Glass Ball, a film exploring the historic city during the Covid lockdown in 2020 (the title is available on Prime Video worldwide).
Among Ventureland’s recent credits are Wham!, The Rescue, and The Deepest Breath. “Ventureland has several big projects on the horizon,” the company notes, “including the David Oyelowo led scripted series Government Cheese on Apple TV as well as several to-be-announced feature documentaries currently in post-production.”
Previous credits include the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix (Netflix); Critics Choice nominee The Real Charlie Chaplin (Showtime); TIFF-selected Werner Herzog documentary Theater of Thought; Mary McCartney’s documentary on Abbey Road Studios, If These Walls Could Sing (Disney+); and Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker (Apple TV+), Alex Gibney’s portrait of the former tennis legend which premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival.