Shiloh Fernandez has been tapped to play the late Johnny Tapia, a five-time world champion boxer in indie biopic “Johnny”, according to THR. Director Eddie Alcazar had been in development on the project for a while before the boxer died this year on May 27th.

Tapia’s story is tinged with tragedy following the murder of his father and mother in his childhood, which led to a lifelong drug addiction battle. He began boxing at age 9 at the urging of his grandmother, and found great success in the 90s, winning titles including the WBO super flyweight and WBO bantamweight. Filming will begin in early 2013 on the film that will focus on Tapia’s early years.

Fernandez is most known for his role opposite Amanda Seyfried in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Red Riding Hood” fairy tale remake and has also completed filming in various indie flicks including Brit Marling’s eco-terrorist thriller “The East”, which co-stars Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard. He is also one of the stars of the new “Evil Dead” remake, along with Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci and newcomer Elizabeth Blackmore.