Watch Jake Gyllenhaal Get Ready to Throw Down in the New TV Spot for SOUTHPAW

Someone said to me the other day that Jake Gyllenhaal may become one of those great actors who no one realized was great until after he's long gone. That may be a little morbid, but it might not be a bad guess. The actor has almost consistently delivered great performances throughout his career (even in so-so movies), so I can definitely see him following in someone like, say, Leonardo DiCaprio's footsteps.

You probably already heard that Gyllenhaal will next be seen in director Antoine Fuqua's (Training Day, The Equalizer) SOUTHPAW, a boxing drama that looks akin to many lauded films that came before it. And it's just the kind of thing the Academy loves: body transformation, an underdog tale and, of course, the fact that it's a drama. Check out the official synopsis:

From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and screenwriters Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Richard Wenk (THE MECHANIC), SOUTHPAW tells the riveting story of Billy "The Great" Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World (Academy Award® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal). Billy Hope seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (Rachel McAdams), an adorable daughter (Oona Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (Academy Award® winner Forest Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city's toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick's guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.

It sounds good, albeit very familiar. I am a huge fan of Kurt Sutter and Antoine Fuqua, so I have high hopes. Also, I really need Rachel McAdams to be cast in a role in which she isn't just the supportive wife or girlfriend (seriously, what has happened to her career?). Another criminally underrated actress, Naomie Harris, is also in the film.

Watch the new TV spot for SOUTHPAW here:

SOUTHPAW hits theaters everywhere July 24. Will you be watching?