DETROIT — Ahead of her title fight at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Flint's Claressa Shields is also getting ready for her big screen debut.

"The Fire Inside," Shields' biopic about overcoming odds and becoming a two-time Olympic gold medal winning fighter, is due out later this year. The movie stars native Detroiter Ryan Destiny as Shields and Academy Award-nominee Brian Tyree Henry ("Causeway") as her trainer, Jason Crutchfield.

First images from the film, which was written by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") and directed by Rachel Morrison, were rolled out this week. The film is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and is due in theaters on Christmas.

Destiny, who has a recurring role on TV's "Grown-ish," says she wanted to dig past the fighter's in-ring persona when portraying Shields, who goes by the nickname "T-Rex."

"I wanted to make sure you understood her on a human level," the actress, 29, said in a statement to The Detroit News. "She is, of course, strong but with that is also vulnerability. At the age this film takes place, she was juggling a lot and grew up faster than most. She’s so layered and all those layers deserve to be seen."

Morrison, who makes her feature film directorial debut after working as a cinematographer on films including "Black Panther" and "Mudbound," says viewers will see a bit of themselves in Shields' story.

"I think audiences will find Claressa very relatable as she navigates the nuanced dynamics of what it means to be a daughter, girlfriend, sister, and student while pursuing a sport at the highest level," Morrison said in a statement to The News. "I hope they will learn about some of the challenges female athletes face and that ultimately life is as much about the journey as it is the destination."

"The Fire Inside" was filmed in Canada with some shooting taking place in Flint.

Meanwhile Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) is due to take on Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC women's heavyweight title and also the WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday at LCA. With a win, the undefeated Shields will become the first woman to win titles in four and five divisions.

Saturday marks her second fight at LCA, following last year's win against Maricela Cornejo in front of a crowd of 11,784 in the first boxing event held at the downtown arena.

Saturday's event will also mark the launch of Shields' new boxing promotion, T-Rex Promotions.

Shields, 29, is the first boxer from the U.S. to win consecutive Olympic medals after taking home golds in the women’s middleweight division in 2012 and 2016. Her in-ring accomplishments have also earned her the nickname GWOAT, or Greatest Woman of All-Time.

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