Indiegogo launched for Notorious Nick The Movie

Producers of Notorious Nick, a biopic about mixed martial arts fighter Nick Newell, have launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

The campaign, which launched Tuesday, has a $100,000 goal. Producer Howard Burd is teamed with veteran martial arts movie producer Mark DiSalle (Bloodsport, Kickboxer, The Perfect Weapon). The duo recently produced 4 Minute Mile and the romantic comedy Mothers Day, Garry Marshall’s final film.

The script for Notorious Nick was written by the 10 Cloverfield Lane team of Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken with Darrin Reed writing the latest version of the screenplay.

The Indiegogo campaign will run for 30 days. The campaign perks include five associate producer credits for $5,000 each and five actual acting roles in the movie for $10,000 each.

We decided to crowdfund this project because it gives Nick’s fans an opportunity to show their support for the project from the beginning and stay engaged throughout the filmmaking process, said Burd to Dave McNary for Variety. I love to bring inspirational stories to the big screen; it’s why I got into this business. Nick’s story struck a chord with me from the beginning. His tenacity and determination were unbelievable for such a brutal sport.

I’ve been involved in the martial arts world for more than 30 years, said DiSalle. There are a lot of tough competitors in the sport and as many great stories but Nick’s stood out because of how he turned his unique challenge into his secret weapon. He was lucky to have valuable mentors shaping that mindset even when he was still a child. His inspirational story needs to be shared with the world.

Newell, despite being born with one hand overcomes all obstacles to become an MMA fighting champion. The story begins with Nick’s teen-mother Stacy in childbirth, where we learn that Nick has been born with his left arm missing below the elbow.

The story follows Nick’s journey from grade school to high school, where he struggles to navigate life with his physical challenges as he deals with life’s unfairness, bullies, taunting. We experience Nick’s feisty personality as he enters the world of sports and learn that he is smart, witty and if pushed too far, pushes right back.

We watch as Nick develops his positive “can do” attitude and witness the immense influence of his mother who teaches him the importance of commitment, and through her constant encouragement, refuses to allow failure to be an option. We also meet his high school wrestling coach, who has his own demons, and they relate to each other to form an unconventional partnership to get into the world of MMA.

Right when things are going great for Nick, a tragic death makes Nick lose his way and he succumbs to distractions and temptations. With the love and support of his mother and coach, and through his own grit and determination, he overcomes all odds to have a shot to win the MMA championship.