Watch: The trailer for 'Chuck,' aka The Real Rocky

The new movie Chuck stars Liev Schreiber as Chuck Wepner, the Jersey-based journeyman heavyweight fighter who once went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali and became the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky.

The story of Stallone's interaction with Wepner is part of the film -- you see him played by Morgan Spector (Boardwalk Empire's Frank Capone) in the trailer, which also features shots of Philadelphia and Schreiber, as Wepner, at the Jersey shore.

Wepner was raised in Bayonne, N.J., where he learned to fight on the streets. He compiled a 35-17-2 record as a pro, became known as a tough fighter who could be easily cut -- he needed 72 stitches after his loss to Sonny Liston. That won him the nickname "The Bayonne Bleeder." In 1975 got a title shot against Ali, knocking the champ down, but losing via technical knock-out with a few seconds left in the 15th and final round.

Wepner got the documentary treatment in 2011 with The Real Rocky, which not only chronicled Wepner's career but his 2003 lawsuit against Stallone asking for a piece for the over $600 million in profits the movie series has made (and that number doesn't even factor in 2015's Creed.)

The movie, co-starring Elisabeth Moss, Naomi Watts and Jim Gaffigan, opens here May 12.