Benoit was a former WWE World Champion and a former WCW World Champion and one of the best wrestlers of his generation.
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Lexi Alexander, the director of 2008’s “Punisher: War Zone”, announced on Twitter that she will be directing the film.
The film is based on the book “Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry” by Matthew Randazzo V, who serves as an executive producer alongside Ram Getz. Crossface – in reference to Benoit’s well-known submission move, the Crossface Crippler – has no set release date or production schedule, but it is known that the screenplay was written by newcomer Sarah Coulter.
The Canadian wrestler was posthumously diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease, which is caused by severe or repeated blows to the head.
The film will depict Chris Benoit’s career and the infamous double murder/suicide of that infamous night in 2007. She was recently at the helm for episodes of TV shows like Arrow, Supergirl, Limitless and American Gothic. “A heartbreaking, true story about the dark side of wrestling.I couldn’t say no to that”. Either way, the fact that the project is finally moving forward is definitely good news, especially as Crossface will shed some light on a fascinating and tragic real life story.
In addition, Alexander has experience on the martial arts scene, as she is a former world champion on the World Karate Association circuit and karate-point fighting, earning her title at 19.
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Alexander earned an Academy Award nomination for her short film, Johnny Flinton,while her feature Green Street Hooligans, starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam won both the Best of the Fest and a Special Jury Award at SXSW.
