Battle of the Sexes (2017 film)

In 1970, pro-tennis player Billie Jean King and her manager, Gladys Heldman, confront promotor Jack Kramer in his office who has organized a tennis tournament where the top prize for women is one-eighth of the men's prize, despite equal ticket sales. King and Heldman threaten to start their own tour but Kramer won't alter the terms, citing the inferiority of women's tennis. When King, and fellow tennis players Julie Heldman, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Judy Dalton, Kristy Pigeon, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kerry Melville Reid, Nancy Richey, and Rosie Casals sign on as the “Original 9” players of what becomes the WTA Tour, Kramer bans them from tournaments organized by the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.

While the women's tour struggles during its early days, Billie Jean King begins an affair with Marilyn Barnett, her hairdresser, threatening her marriage to Larry King. Meanwhile, men's pro-tennis player Bobby Riggs' marriage to the wealthy Priscilla Whelan is in trouble because of his addiction to gambling. Thrown out of his house when he can't conceal a Rolls-Royce he won in a tennis bet, he hits upon the idea of a challenge match against the top woman player, boasting that even at age 55 he can beat any woman.

The women's tour has slowly gained a stronger foothold, with the Women's Tennis Association formed in 1973. Riggs continues to pressure King to play him. Eventually, Riggs persuades Margaret Court, who recently overtook King to gain the World No. 1 ranking, to play a match in May 1973. Riggs easily defeats Court and King decides she has to accept his challenge, but demands a final say as to the arrangements. King trains intensely, while Riggs relaxes. King objects to Kramer as a game announcer, threatening to not play unless he withdraws, which he does. After a slow start, King wins the match, changing the future of women's tennis.

A textual epilogue states that King divorced her husband in the 1980s, retired from tennis in 1990, and later became involved in a long-term same-sex relationship while Riggs reunited with his wife but never quit his gambling habit.

The project and its two leads were announced in April 2015.[8] Brie Larson was, for a brief period, set to replace Stone due to scheduling conflicts, but these were cleared up.[9][10] On March 3, 2016, Andrea Riseborough was cast to play Marilyn Barnett, King's hairdresser and lover.[11] Later that month, three more were cast in the film, Elisabeth Shue as Riggs' wife;[12] Austin Stowell as Larry King, Billie Jean's husband;[13] and Sarah Silverman as Gladys Heldman, the founder of World Tennis magazine.[14] Four actors joined the cast in April: Eric Christian Olsen as Lornie Kuhle,[15] Jessica McNamee as tennis player Margaret Court,[16] Alan Cumming as designer Ted Tinling,[17] and Natalie Morales as player Rosie Casals.[18]

Principal photography on the film began in Los Angeles on April 13, 2016, with a budget of more than $25 million.[19][20]

For the tennis match scenes, tennis players Kaitlyn Christian (who portrays “Original 9” member Kerry Melville Reid) and Vince Spadea were the body doubles of Stone and Carell, respectively.[21][22]

Battle of the Sexes had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2017.[23] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2017,[24] and at the BFI London Film Festival on October 7, 2017.[25] The film began a limited release in the United States on September 22, 2017, before going wide the following week.[26]

• When Billie Beat Bobby

• Battle of the Sexes at IMDb
• Battle of the Sexes at Box Office Mojo