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Emma Stone, Steve Carell recreate sports history in 'Battle of the Sexes' trailer

By Wade Sheridan
Emma Stone appears backstage with her Oscar during the 89th annual Academy Awards on February 26. Stone stars in the first trailer for sports comedy "Battle of the Sexes" alongside Steve Carell. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Emma Stone appears backstage with her Oscar during the 89th annual Academy Awards on February 26. Stone stars in the first trailer for sports comedy "Battle of the Sexes" alongside Steve Carell. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

May 17 (UPI) -- Emma Stone and Steve Carell face off on the tennis court in the first trailer for upcoming comedy-drama, Battle of the Sexes.

The clip released Tuesday, features Stone as real-life tennis pro Billie Jean King, the No. 2 ranked female competitor in 1973 as she took on former Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs (Carell), who was vocal about women being unable to compete with men in sports.

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"I'm not saying women don't belong on the court -- who would pick up the balls otherwise?" Carell says during a press conference before their highly publicized tennis match, which became one of the most-watched sporting events in television history.

"Keep talking Bobby. The more nonsense you spout, the worse it's going to be when you lose," Stone says.

"The match caught the zeitgeist and sparked a global conversation on gender equality, spurring on the feminist movement. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposite sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles," reads the synopsis.

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"With a supportive husband urging her to fight the establishment for equal pay, the fiercely private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past. Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis courts and animated the discussions between men and women in bedrooms and boardrooms around the world," it continues.

Directed by Little Miss Sunshine helmers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the film also stars Sarah Silverman, Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, Natalie Morales, and Fred Armisen.

Battle of the Sexes is due in theaters Sept. 22.

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