Newcomer Chadwick Boseman Chosen To Play Baseball Legend Jackie Robinson In BiopicBy Wilson Morales
December 9, 2011
Variety is reporting that Legendary Pictures is swinging for the fences with relative newcomer Chadwick Boseman, who’s in final negotiations to play Jackie Robinson in the biopic “42.”
Brian Helgeland will direct from a script he penned.
Pic follows story of Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues. Legendary had no comment on the casting.
Boseman’s previous work experience has been in the TV world, having done episodic roles on numerous TV series such as ‘Cold Case,’ ‘Lie to Me,’ ‘Lincoln Heights,’ ‘The Glades,’ ‘Justified,’ and more recently ‘Fringe.’
Deadline.com had reported earlier in the week that Legendary Pictures is courting Harrison Ford to play Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey.
The site also mentions that Hollywood has long been interested in bringing Robinson’s story to the screen. Spike Lee once tried to direct a version with Denzel Washington in the lead role.
Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce, with Dick Cook exec producing.
“We are deeply honored and grateful to be able to bring the Jackie Robinson story to audiences around the world,” Tull said in a statement. “The legacy he left on history, society and the sport of baseball is one that will never be forgotten, and we are pleased to tell this amazing story of a true American hero.”
