‘Unstoppable’ Director Thanks Producer Ben Affleck as Jennifer Lopez Film Premieres at Toronto

Unstoppable, a sports drama about a college wrestler who dreams of going pro that stars Jharrrel Jerome (Moonlight), Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, and Bobby Cannavale, and was directed by William Goldenberg, stepped into the ring on Friday for its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), earning a two-minute standing ovation.

The movie’s story is based on the life of Anthony Robles who also walked the red carpet. Though born without a right leg and growing up in a volatile household, he never let go of his dream of becoming a wrestler.

Not only did the premiere continue to amp up TIFF’s star wattage after Thursday’s opening night with the likes of Ben Stiller and Demi Moore. It also gave its director and stars to share some insight into behind-the-scenes dynamics.

First-time director Goldenberg, who has edited Argo and others, in an introduction to the film thanked the film’s producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and their company Artists Equity. “I’ve been blessed to have them as partners,” he said. “I appreciate everything they’ve done. I have worked with Ben for almost 20 years as an editor, and his faith in me sometimes exceeded my faith in myself. So I can’t tell you how much I appreciate his support and his help and allowing me to be here.”

Damon attended the premiere, but Affleck didn’t make the trip to Toronto. Singer-actress Lopez filed for divorce from him in late August after two years of marriage.

Meanwhile, during the Q&A, Robles’ real mother told JLo about her portrayal of her: “You were me with the sass, but also with the spirit.”

Jerome earlier shared how he and Lopez collaborated on the movie. “We have so many similarities when it comes to the mother-son dynamic,” he told THR on the red carpet before the premiere. “She’s very close to her kids and she loves her kids very much. And I’m a mamma’s boy. I love my mother very much. So, we definitely used that to our advantage.”

The shared experiences don’t stop there. “Also, we’re both from the Bronx,” he continued. “So we had a lot of conversations early on about what it meant to be in a struggle and still love and choose to overcome. And those conversations just kind of led to the chemistry that we were able to have.”

About Unstoppable, Jerome told THR: “It’s not just a wrestling movie. It’s a movie about family. It’s a movie about overcoming.”

Goldenberg, an Oscar-nominated editor, shared that his experience prepared him well for the directing duties on Unstoppable. “I worked with some of the best directors in the world. I was sitting with them for hours and hours and hours and learning about filmmaking from them and watching what they do and being on set with them,” he told THR on the Toronto red carpet. “So I just tried to draw on all those lessons I’ve learned and, hopefully, as an editor I’ve become a good storyteller. And basically, it’s all storytelling.”