Packing a punch
Sam Upton’s ‘12 Round Gun’ hits hard inside and outside the ring
Sam Upton’s letting the lion out of the cage.
And he can’t wait to see the reaction.
“It’s a thrilling moment for me,” he says. “For the past nine years, I’ve worked on this project and I’m able to see it come to fruition.”
Upton is talking about his film “12 Round Gun,” which is currently available on digital formats.
The film will also see a limited theatrical run this month.
Upton wrote, directed and stars in the film.
“12 Round Gun” follows ex-prizefighter Joe Gun, played by Upton on his comeback when his middleweight contender son, played by Jared Abrahamson, is wrongfully blinded in the ring.
Having grown up heavily involved in martial arts, baseball and other sports, Upton suffered an injury and his sports career was tragically cut short.
Beaten down and wanting to give up, he instead used this setback to push himself into the next chapter of his life.
Living a real-life redemption story, Upton decided to write what he knew and based the screenplay on his own experiences, even featuring his real life son in the film adaptation.
“People think that the film is about just boxing,” he says. “That’s true to a certain point. The film is about battling alcoholism and its effects. It’s also about overcoming the obstacles and becoming a man. People have been leaving with a euphoric feeling. It’s amazing to be able to hear that from an audience.”
Production for the film lasted less than two weeks — 13 days and one pick-up day to be exact.
During that time, Upton transformed himself into Joe Gun.
“I killed myself for that part,” he says. “Physically, I was training for hours a day and getting into shape. Mentally, I had to prepare myself for this journey Joe was on. He’s a flawed individual who is trying to overcome the path he made for himself. The relationship between him and his son is critical to the film. I dove into this role and didn’t look back. I’ve been so passionate about it.”
Upton would describe his journey as painful.
“I don’t believe the great performances don’t come with a cost,” he says. “Becoming Joe was powerful and difficult. Shooting the scene where I found my son having killed himself was the hardest scene of the film. It’s thrilling to have the opportunity for more people to be able to see this. I’m looking forward to seeing what journey the film takes with audiences.”