The world of cycling continues to captivate cinema, which is about to launch a new project centered on the Tour de France. Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman and Jonathan Bailey will star in "Pumping Black," a psychological thriller produced by Amazon.

While the film dedicated to Lance Armstrong had very few details, this is an already underway project that aims to investigate the dynamics of professional cycling. According to industry reports, the project was presented in recent days at the Cannes Market, which takes place alongside the Croisette festival. The story centers on Taylor Mace (played by Jonathan Bailey), a thirty-five-year-old cyclist who risks being sidelined due to his age. In order to achieve his dream of winning the Tour de France, he decides to turn to Dr. Andrea Lathe (Natalie Portman), who, driven by a hunger for victory and power, will develop an extreme training program.

According to information released by the production company, the film would not be inspired by any particular characters or events; it is described as a psychological thriller like Whiplash and Black Swan. Given the references proposed, it will be a project with strong dramatic tones that investigates the limits to which an individual can push themselves. Filming will begin in autumn and the film will be directed by American filmmaker Mimi Cave; the film is expected to arrive in theaters in 2027. The stated objective is to investigate the extreme sides of sport and relationships within a team. Given the choice of protagonists, the idea is to reach both film enthusiasts and new generations.

Upon hearing about this project, still shrouded in mysterious details, our hope as passionate fans and industry professionals is that the world of cycling will not be minimized, but that a serious attempt will be made to investigate team and race dynamics, going beyond simple popular beliefs.

(photo from Instagram)