Warrior is an action drama film about mixed martial arts set to be released on September 9, 2011 by Lionsgate. It will star Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Justin Berg, Jennifer Morrison and Pro Wrestler Kurt Angle.
Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for SPARTA, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin.
A rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit, Warrior is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family. Warrior stars Tom Hardy (the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Black Hawk Down), Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, Star Wars: Episode III), Jennifer Morrison (“House”, Star Trek) and Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder, The Thin Red Line). The film is directed by Gavin O'Connor; screenplay by Gavin O'Connor & Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorman and story by Gavin O'Connor & Cliff Dorfman.
Mogul Minds Studios, located in Pittsburgh, was used during the filming, as well as the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center and the Twin Hi-Way Drive-In. North Hills High School was also used for some interior scenes.
Hardy went through a demanding training routine for gaining muscle during the film's pre-production, gaining around 28 pounds of muscle and raising his overall weight to 205 pounds.
Additional filming was shot at the former West Virginia State Penitentiary, located in Moundsville, West Virginia.
Additional scenes were shot around the historic Pitt Hotel and Restaurant in McDonald, Pennsylvania.