AceShowbiz -

Jake Gyllenhaal's amazing transformation into a boxer for the movie "Southpaw" has been unveiled. The actor, who dropped 25 pounds to play a cameraman in "Nightcrawler", shows off his ripped body in the first image which landed online on Friday, November 28. Arriving via Deadline, the "Prisoners" star can be seen standing in the ring, wearing his boxing gloves.

Director Antoine Fuqua shared how Gyllenhaal dedicated himself into training. "Jake is going to change how people see him. I had him training twice a day in the boxing ring, he did two-a-days seven days a week. I pretty much had him with me and my trainer every day," he shared, adding that Gyllenhaal trained at Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s gym in Las Vegas and with real fighters in a gym in New York. He also joined the 33-year-old actor watching many boxing fights.

"Literally. I think he broke up with his girlfriend because he was just in the gym every day," the director said. "He was training like a fighter. I had him sparring, really getting hit. I put him in situations where I wanted to see what he was made of. No one but fighters understand the sacrifice it takes to be a fighter."

"Southpaw" tells the story of a welterweight boxer who wants to reclaim his past glory and win back his daughter's affection. Also starring Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and Naomie Harris, the movie will be released in U.S. theaters sometime next year.