Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath announced earlier this year that he would be making his competitive return to bodybuilding in hopes of winning an 8th title this December. Should he be successful, then he would join Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman as the only men to have won the title that many times.
Heath has confirmed on his social media that his journey toward that potential 8th Olympia win will now be the subject of a documentary that is being produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his “Seven Bucks Production” partner, Dany Garcia. The news was first reported by Deadline.
“I’m grateful to announce this project that’s been in the works for a while – A documentary film following my journey on and off the bodybuilding stage. Thank you to @SevenBucksProd, @DanyGarcia, @TheRock and Brett Harvey for agreeing to tell my story.”
Johnson and Garcia had yet to publicly comment on the project, but the Olympia promoters did share their own announcement about the news as well as more details about what will be included in the bodybuilding film.
“The film will cover Heath’s rise to the top of the bodybuilding mountain — he won the title every year from 2011-2017 — and the adversity of trying to come all the way back from the two year layoff, overcome injuries that come with 18 years of physical and mental sacrifice, and the beefcake that filled the gap while he was away and will be onstage against him. Adding to the challenge of his comeback is COVID-19 and its looming implications on his training schedule and the Olympia event itself — the event is scheduled for the weekend of December 16 in Las Vegas — presenting an entirely new dynamic to the hill that Heath must climb, as he once again stands on the edge of bodybuilding history. #Olympia2020”
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This isn’t Heath’s first time being featured in a major film about bodybuilding. In 2013, he starred in the film “Generation Iron” which showed the buildup to the 2012 Olympia as well as highlights of the contest itself. That film was considered a “docudrama” as there were non-historical parts of the film. One example was that the 2012 showdown between Heath and Kai Greene was decided by one judge’s point. It actually was perfect score for Heath with Greene getting all second place votes.
If Heath is to win that 8th Mr. Olympia title, then he will have to face one of the greatest lineups in bodybuilding history. Among that lineup is current champion Brandon Curry, 2008 winner Dexter Jackson, 7-time 212 Olympia winner James “Flex” Lewis, and two-time Arnold Classic winner William Bonac.
Featured Images: Instagram/philheath and Instagram/therock