Emily Bett Rickards is primed and ready to rumble. The Arrow alum stars in the first teaser for Queen of the Ring, a biopic about the old-school wrestler Mildred Burke and her life and career. The movie is directed by Ash Avildsen (American Satan), the film is scheduled to land in theaters on March 7, 2025, and will be a no-punches-pulled look at the grit, glamor, and grind of wrestling’s early days.
The teaser (below) gives us a first look at Burke (Emily Bett Rickards), a 1930s waitress who becomes a wrestling legend, subverting a male-dominated arena long before it became the spectacle we recognize today. As a driven dreamer with a legend in the making heart, Burke’s journey is far from ordinary. Wrestling manager Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas, Sweet Home Alabama) is Burke’s trainer, and other connections blossom from there, getting more entangled as they do. And as her star rises, Burke wrestles with personal and professional obstacles, not least Wolfe’s betrayal and the prejudices of a male-dominated industry hostile to women’s participation.
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But Rickards’s Burke is not the only one in the ring — or in the drama. Deborah Ann Woll (Daredevil) is great as Gladys Gillem, Burke’s in-ring opponent and off-ring rival for the attentions of Wolfe (that’s the freakin’ fax machine guy). Meanwhile, Francesca Eastwood (Juror #2) takes on the role of Mae Young, another wrestling legend with a career that stretched over the decades. Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Kelli Berglund (Heels), Walton Goggins (Fallout), and Cara Buono (Stranger Things) round out the cast, alongside actual wrestling stars like Britt Baker (AEW), Trinity Fatu (a.k.a. Naomi in the WWE), Toni Storm (AEW), and Kamille (AEW).
Based on Jeff Leen’s book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend, the film aims for a real glimpse into Burke’s legacy. It also makes a heartbreaking link to Avildsen’s own cinematic bloodline — his dad, John Avildsen, directed Rocky and The Karate Kid. Wrestling fans and cinephiles alike should anticipate a clear-eyed yet uplifting portrait of one of the sport’s most trailblazing figures.
More: Mark your calendars—Queen of the Ring hits theaters on March 7, 2025.
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Queen of the Ring
The story of Mildred Burke, a waitress who attended her first wrestling match and became the longest reigning champion of female wrestling. She fought and beat male wrestlers, and walked the fine line between beauty and brawler.
