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Glen Powell to Star in Richard Linklater’s Lou Gehrig Movie From Producer Lorne Michaels
Glen Powell is set to star in a Universal Pictures film about baseball legend Lou Gehrig, with Richard Linklater attached to direct, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The project brings together a notable creative team, including Saturday Night Live writer Simon Rich on script duties and Lorne Michaels producing, and marks a fresh collaboration between Powell and Linklater, who previously worked together on Hit Man and Everybody Wants Some!! The casting continues Powell's rise as a leading man following a string of high-profile roles.
The as-yet-untitled project is produced by Michaels and Erin David for Broadway Video, alongside Powell and Dan Cohen through Barnstorm, while Linklater is in talks to produce via Detour Filmproduction, all under Universal's first-look deals. Gehrig, a Yankees first baseman and Hall of Famer who played in the legendary 1927 "Murderers' Row" lineup with Babe Ruth, died in 1941 aged 37 from ALS; his story was previously told in the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper. Powell has several other projects in the pipeline, including Judd Apatow's The Comeback King and J.J. Abrams' The Great Beyond opposite Jenna Ortega.
In short
- Glen Powell to star in Lou Gehrig biopic directed by Richard Linklater
- Lorne Michaels and Simon Rich attached as producer and writer
- Reunites Powell and Linklater after Hit Man collaboration
Explained simply
Lou Gehrig was an American baseball player for the New York Yankees in the 1920s, best known for playing alongside Babe Ruth in the 1927 "Murderers' Row" lineup, one of baseball's most celebrated teams. He died in 1941 at the age of 37 from motor neurone disease, a condition now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. He remains a significant figure in American sports history.
A new film about Gehrig's life is in production at Universal Pictures, directed by Richard Linklater, a filmmaker known for character-focused films. The project's creative team includes screenwriter Simon Rich, who writes for Saturday Night Live, and producer Lorne Michaels, the creator and head of Saturday Night Live. The role of Gehrig will be played by actor Glen Powell, who has had leading roles in recent major films.
Gehrig's story has been adapted for film before—the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper, was based on his life. This new project reunites director Linklater with actor Powell, following their collaborations on films including Hit Man.
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