عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

‘Day of Reckoning’ Boxing Film Exceeds 150 Million Views in Just One Week

‘Day of Reckoning’ new trailer has officially accumulated over 150 million views since its launch only a week ago.
‘Day of Reckoning’ new trailer has officially accumulated over 150 million views since its launch only a week ago.
TT
TT

‘Day of Reckoning’ Boxing Film Exceeds 150 Million Views in Just One Week

‘Day of Reckoning’ new trailer has officially accumulated over 150 million views since its launch only a week ago.
‘Day of Reckoning’ new trailer has officially accumulated over 150 million views since its launch only a week ago.

‘Day of Reckoning’, the much talked about new trailer starring an array of titan names from the world of boxing, has now officially accumulated over 150 million views since its launch only a week ago.

The video, lauded by many for pushing the boundaries of sports promo films with its impressive cinematic quality and originality, was unveiled by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) a week ago to promote what is an unparalleled fight card by the same name ‘Day of Reckoning’, set to take place on December 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The gripping short film stars a number of the big-name boxers that are due to feature on the night transformed into zombies, and has earned praise globally since its launch across Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, having accumulated more than 150 million views, including 123 million on X alone.

‘Day of Reckoning’ was directly supervised by Turki Alalshikh, who worked alongside Big Time Creative Shop, the agency founded by GEA as the creative arm of its organization, on its script and production to bring the concept to life, and was directed by Romain Chassaing.

Leading media outlets around the world have described it as ‘one of the greatest fight promos ever’ suggesting it has ‘a hint of Hollywood’, which has ‘ignited the internet’ and left fans ‘buzzing’ for the big night itself this coming Saturday. It includes scenes such as former WBC world title holder Deontay Wilder and Frank Warren, owner of Queensbury Promotions, careering around a corner in a van and two-time Unified World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua signing a contract in blood with Eddie Hearn watching on as he smokes a cigar.

Another heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic is seen casually replacing one of his eyeballs, while Otto Wallin decapitates a zombie with a single punch.

Director Romain Chassaing said: “The shoot was very, very fun. The boxers really enjoyed it. There was something very cool between [Anthony] Joshua and Eddie [Hearn], they were laughing a lot, and the scene with Frank [Warren] in the van with a crazy [Deontay] Wilder was very fun to shoot, because Wilder is playing it very well.

"With just three days to go until the unprecedented fight night, ‘Day of Reckoning’ sees a co-main event which features Anthony Joshua going up against Otto Wallin, alongside Joseph Parker taking on the Bronze Bomber Deontay Wilder.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Voice of 'The Lion King' Returns for Disney Prequel

Lebo M's voice soundtracked the opening to Disney's classic film "The Lion King" - AFP
Lebo M's voice soundtracked the opening to Disney's classic film "The Lion King" - AFP
TT
TT

Voice of 'The Lion King' Returns for Disney Prequel

Lebo M's voice soundtracked the opening to Disney's classic film "The Lion King" - AFP
Lebo M's voice soundtracked the opening to Disney's classic film "The Lion King" - AFP

Born into poverty in apartheid-era South Africa and propelled to Hollywood heights, Lebohang Morake became the voice of Disney's classic film "The Lion King" with his powerful Zulu cry.

Now, 30 years after his chant of "Nants' Ingonyama" soared above the film's memorable opening sequence, the 60-year-old South African singer, producer and composer known as Lebo M is back.

This time he sings another opener for the prequel "Mufasa: The Lion King", which tells the story of orphaned lion Mufasa who grows up to be the king of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music for the film -- due to be released worldwide on December 18-20 -- said on the red carpet he would not have done it without Lebo M, AFP reported.
"That was the dream. I sort of insisted on that the moment I took the job because I think he is the secret sauce," he said at the world premiere in Los Angeles this week.

"I think he is the sound of 'The Lion King' and his choral arrangements, that were in addition to the songs I wrote, I think really make the movie feel of a piece with the original," he added.

The film, directed by Barry Jenkins, premiered in Los Angeles and London this week and opens with Lebo M's composition "Ngomso".

After the enormous impact of his work on the 1994 film, Lebo M told AFP in an interview he had felt the pressure to produce a worthy successor.

"I loved writing the first opening... but having to write and perform a new opening for 'The Lion King' after 30 years... it's quite a big challenge," he said.

In the end, he said, writing "Ngomso" turned out to be a remarkably similar process.

Lebo M produced and composed for the 2010 football World Cup opening and closing ceremonies in South Africa

The "Nants' Ingonyama" cry heard at the start of the "Circle of Life" song in the earlier film, he said, had been a demo for which he simply turned up, performed and left without expecting much to come of it.

Three decades later, he arrived at the studio early in the morning and just started making music "with a hi-hat (cymbals) and a bongo".

"By the time the director and everyone else came in at 11 am I'd written the entire song."

He said committing to the film had the advantage of allowing him to finally work with Miranda, something he had been keen to do for many years.

"It's just amazing energy non-stop. Very little discussion about these chords, this melody. We do! Just go in and everything flows... it allowed us to both to be very, very authentic to the movie," he said.

Born in Soweto in South Africa in 1964, Lebo M has built a reputation as the go-to artist for directors wanting authentic African flair for their productions.

He produced and composed for the 2010 football World Cup opening and closing ceremonies in South Africa.

A long creative association with composer Hans Zimmer, who has written the music for more than 150 films, has seen him feature as a special guest on all Zimmer's world tours.

But success was hard won with low points including racism he experienced, including in the entertainment industry, and two years living on the streets in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s.

"I'm constantly conscious of the fact that I'm a refugee, I'm non-American," he said.

"It was very difficult when Lion King became big in 1994. It was always about the three white guys, Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer.

"Being born into extreme poverty was never here or there for me. I had music," he said, adding that as a teenager he had the choice of being a "gangster, a soccer player or the nerd".

This meant immersing himself in music and the arts and by the age of just 14 he was the youngest nightclub singer in South Africa.

Despite an illustrious career, Lebo M said he still bears the scars of the years when he was homeless.

"I've been in survival mode all the way.... Even with the perception of success that one is believed to have, it's still survival mode," he said.

He believes, however, that the US entertainment industry allowed him to "flourish more than I think I would have flourished anywhere else in the world".

After decades mostly behind the scenes, he said he is finally ready to meet his audience with his first of a series of concerts scheduled for next April in South Africa.

"I'm ready because I know there's anticipation in a global audience that would like to experience Lebo M live, not as a guest, not through movies," he said.

"And I also would like to experience that," he added.