Trailer for Boxing Drama THEY FIGHT Teases a Powerful Story of Redemption, Mentorship, and Second Chances
Disney's Andscape has released the first trailer for They Fight, an inspiring boxing drama that blends sports action with an emotional story about redemption, mentorship, and finding purpose.
The movie centers on Walt Manigan, played by André Holland, a former convict who returns to Southeast Washington, D.C., determined to rebuild his life. But moving forward means confronting the past he tried to leave behind.
That journey takes him back to a rundown boxing gym he never wanted to see again, where his former mentor Slim, played by Wendell Pierce, is still fighting to keep the place alive.
Inside the gym, three young boxers named Quincey, Peanut, and Twin are battling challenges of their own. With little more than determination and a pair of gloves, they're searching for direction while trying to stay on the right path.
As Walt becomes involved in their lives, he discovers that the hardest challenge he faces has nothing to do with stepping into a boxing ring.
The trailer offers a mix of heart, grit, and community, showing how one person’s effort to turn his life around can ripple through the lives of others. While boxing serves as the backdrop, the story appears to be focused just as much on healing, guidance, and the bonds formed through shared struggles.
The film also stars Samira Wiley, Anthony B. Jenkins, Toussaint Francois Battiste, and Mykelti Williamson.
Writer and director Sheldon Candis shared the inspiration behind the project, saying: "They Fight is my love letter to one of my all-time favorite directors, John G. Avildsen.
“It's a Karate Kid-inspired narrative punched in the face with a John Hughes coming-of-age story about Southeast D.C. kids fighting to dream within amateur youth boxing."
The story draws inspiration from the Washington Post article “It Ain't All About Boxing: Young D.C. Boxers Find a Role Model and Find Their Way” by Michael Minahan, as well as Andrew Renzi’s documentary They Fight.
This looks like the kind of sports drama that aims to deliver more than just victories and defeats. The trailer highlights a story about people searching for a better future, and the role that mentorship and community can play in helping them get there.
If the film delivers on what this first trailer promises, audiences could be in for a moving and uplifting boxing drama when They Fight is set to premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival before making its streaming debut on Hulu and Disney+ on July 17, 2026.