Jake Gyllenhaal is in the midst of a comeback story.

After jumping from Oscar praise in Brokeback Mountain, the actor logically jumped to blockbusters ... and fumbled (remember Prince of Persia?). Gyllenhaal's fans weren't impressed. Judging from his response, neither was he. In the past two years, the actor has been landing punch after punch in movies like End of Watch, Prisoners, Enemy, and last year's Nightcrawler, a film that earned him a Golden Globe nomination and some of the best reviews of his career.

Gyllenhaal's next film looks like a knockout, to abuse the boxing puns. Directed by Training Day and Equalizer's Antoine Fuqua and written by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, Southpaw is an underdog tale laced in tragedy. Gyllenhaal plays a brutal fighter clawing his way back into the ring, and his daughter's life, after the accidental death of his wife. The film looks brutal, Gyllenhaal transforming himself into the muscle-laden, crazy-eyed boxer.

Southpaw will combat surrounding blockbusters when it bows on July 31, 2015. If you're wondering why this trailer arrived via Eminem's YouTube page, fun fact: The rapper and 8 Mile actor was originally set to star in the movie. Scheduling and musical pursuits forced him to bow out, but his spirit remains. As the trailer teases, Southpaw will employ his tunes in the soundtrack.

This article originally appeared on esquire.com

Gyllenhaal for an Oscar?

***
MORE TV & FILM:

Tom Hardy Is Esquire's May Cover Star
Nightcrawler: How Dan Gilroy Made The Most Original Film Of The Year
Whatever Happened To The Hollywood Action Hero?
***

From: Esquire UK