Man it seems like baseball is hot in Hollywood again. Clint Eastwood continues to develop his upcoming film about an aging baseball scout called Trouble with the Curve, and now a huge story on one of the most important players in the history of major league baseball.
Hoping to capitalize on the huge success of Moneyball, Hollywood is currently developing a biopic on the life of baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first black player ever to play in the major leagues. One of the key reasons why Robinson broke the color barrier was due in large part to Brooklyn Dodger general manager Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson in an unprecedented move.
Currently veteran actor Harrison Ford is in talks to play Rickey. I'm not sure this is good fit for Ford. He certainly doesn't look the part and I'm dubious that he could capture the spirit of Rickey. Actor Tom Wilkinson I think would be a better fit.
Ford certainly has been busy lately. He's been in talks to play Wyatt Earp in the film Black Hats, Colonel Graff in the upcoming Ender's Game, and now this. Oh and also there is some small thing involving some character named Indiana Jones.
The film will be titled simply 42 (Robinson's number which has since been retired by EVERY major league team) but no director or studio is attached at present.
The real question is who will play Robinson? Let's hope it's not Keenan Thompson from SNL. I'm pretty sure his roles in Goodburger and Fat Albert exclude him from the running.
**Correction: post title should have read Will Ford Bleed Dodger Blue in Jackie Robinson Biopic?
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