Amazon MGM Studios is hosting special screenings of the star-studded film Unstoppable for free in 85 cities in advance of the film’s release on Prime Video in mid-January. The film stars Moonlight‘s Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Lopez and Anthony Robles, the incredible athlete whose life the film is based on.

Unstoppable is an inspiring, true story about Robles who has defied expectations to achieve the status of national wrestling champion in the United States, despite having only one leg. 

Robles strived to work past the obstacles in his way, on his path to becoming a star athlete.

“One of the things I have had to deal with is not only self-doubt but the doubt of other people, the low expectations, because I was born missing my leg,” shares Robles in a Prime Video featurette.

Jerome (Moonlight, When They See Us, Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse, Concrete Cowboy) describes the man who inspired the character he portrays in the film as incredible and triumphant, saying that Robles “represents exactly what the title of the film is — Unstoppable.” He calls Robles “a superhero in real life.” 

Lopez, who plays Robles’ mother Judy, says he is “resilient, incredibly charismatic and one-of-a-kind,” and goes further to say that — “He really is unstoppable.”

The real Judy was emotional when thanking Lopez for her honest and authentic performance when bringing her character to life in the film.

Robles is the stunt double for his own character in the film, working closely with Jerome to help him hone his physical skills to take on the role. Credited as “Anthony Robles Double,” he performs complex wrestling moves and stunts alongside Jerome in expertly edited cutaway sequences and special effects that make it impossible to tell the two men apart. The real collegiate division one champion is indistinguishable from the actor who plays him.

Robles overcame many challenges to become a champion in the world of sports. He was born without a right leg but his incredible determination and the support and encouragement of his mother Judy and his coaches (Michael Peña, Don Cheadle) helped him to beat the odds of achieving success. He earned a spot on Arizona State University’s wrestling team, then eventually realized his life’s dream of becoming a champion wrestler.

His inspirational story is based on the biography about his journey, written with former Sports Illustrated journalist Austin Murphy.

Unstoppable made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where stars of the film walked the red carpet for a gala event on Sept. 6, 2024 including Jerome, Lopez, Cheadle, Cannavale, Anthony, wife Laura Robles, Judy Robles, Canadian Olympic Gold medallist Andre De Grasse, and TIFF and Amazon MGM executives.

The film is produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company Artists Equity. Damon and his wife Luciana attended the gala and were photographed on the red carpet. Unstoppable went into select theatres three months later, on December 6. 

Unstoppable is William Goldenberg’s directorial debut, but he’s an industry veteran. Goldenberg is an award-winning editor with an Oscar for his work on the Ben Affleck film Argo and earned nominations for The Imitation Game, Zero Dark Thirty, Seabiscuit, and The Insider.

His editing skills can also be seen in close to 50 films such as The Instigators (2024), Air (‘23), The Outfit (‘22), News of the World (‘20), Unbroken (‘14), Miami Vice (‘06), in films from Ali (‘01) to Concussion, Heat, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Coyote Ugly, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and several of the films from the Transformers series, including the thoroughly entertaining and culturally relevant Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).

The advance showing of Unstoppable on January 8 features a special pre-taped Q&A session with Jerome, Lopez, Cheadle, producer and the main subject of the film NCAA Wrestling National Champion (2011) Anthony Robles, subject Judy Robles, and director William Goldenberg. 

It’s likely that you will be able to find a viewing location as the sneak peek of Unstoppable will be in theatres in the top 85 U.S. markets. The impetus for being a part of this country-wide event and seeing the event in a theatre setting ahead of most people on its Prime Video release on January 16, is that it’s free.

You can find a theatre near you in 85 cities and sign up for free tickets (up to two per person) via the Amazon MGM screenings website.

Subscribe to Core Magazines to get alerts to experiences like this one. Select events could be promoted for free through Core Branded Stories.

Featured image: (l-r) Anthony Robles, Judy Robles, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, Jharrel Jerome, and William Goldenberg

by Cherryl Bird – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
X @ladycbird | Instagram @cherrylbird