Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction sports film starring Hugh Jackman. Produced and directed by Shawn Levy, the film is based on the short story "Steel", written by Richard Matheson, which was originally published in the May 1956 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and later adapted into a 1963 Twilight Zone episode. The story features a down-on-his-luck former boxer (Jackman), whose sport is now played by robots, as he and his son (Dakota Goyo) find an abandoned robot and train it to be a promising fighter. Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, and Kevin Durand star in supporting roles.

The film was in development for several years before production began on June 24, 2010. Filming took place primarily in the U.S. state of Michigan. Animatronic robots were built for the film, and motion capture technology was used to depict the rodeo brawling of the robots.

Real Steel was distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the Touchstone Pictures label in the United States on October 7, 2011. Although the film was a box-office bomb in the United States, it grossed nearly $300 million at the box office internationally. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances and visual effects, but criticized the formulaic plot. The film was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 84th Academy Awards.