Although our rights remain under constant attack from primarily male legislators, women can take solace in the knowledge that once upon a time, one of the top women’s tennis player was goaded into playing against a washed-up, albeit formidable pro for lots of money. Okay, that’s cold comfort, but there are only so many puppy videos you can watch in a day. So, here it is, the first trailer for Battle Of The Sexes, which depicts the titular match between Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) and Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). It was actually the second of its kind, as Riggs had challenged and defeated Margaret Court in 1973, when she was at the height of her career.
The film, from Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, looks to have all the ridiculous shenanigans of the real-life tennis match, which saw Riggs and King enter the court on the shoulders of scantily clad women and men, respectively. It also centers on the political zeitgeist that motivated King to try to shut down Riggs, and also got his hackles up.
Battle Of The Sexes has scored a September 22 release date.