FROM THE NEWS ARCHIVES OF CINEMA CONFIDENTIAL

Vin Diesel as Joe Louis?
POSTED ON 08/20/04 AT 10:30 A.M.
BY ETHAN AAMES

The New York Daily News reports that last week, Spike Lee met up with Vin Diesel to talk about him possibly playing boxing Joe Louis in Lee's next film, "On the Waterfront."

Lee's co-writer on the project, Budd Schulberg admits he has some concerns about the Diesel's lack of physical resemblance to the famouse boxing champ, who battled Hitler favorite Max Schmeling in 1938.

He says, however, "I came away impressed with his knowledge of Joe Louis. He's got the intellect, and he's done some boxing."