Baseball Great Jackie Robinson's New Movie
03-29-05, 02:32 PM
#1
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
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Baseball Great Jackie Robinson's New Movie
LOS ANGELES - The makers of the Ray Charles film "Ray" are taking on another story about breaking racial barriers. Baldwin Entertainment Group is producing a film biography of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, with an assist from Robert Redford, whose Wildwood Enterprises will co-produce.
Redford, who starred in the 1984 baseball flick "The Natural," also will play Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson as the first black player in Major League Baseball.
"This will be our next `Ray,'" said producer Howard Baldwin, whose film on Charles earned the best-actor Academy Award.
"This is one of the most important stories not just in sports, but in our history," Baldwin told The Associated Press on Monday.
Robinson himself starred in 1950's "The Jackie Robinson Story," a dramatization of his entry into baseball.
A fresh big-screen take on Robinson's triumphant career would be good public relations for baseball, now mired in a steroids scandal, Baldwin said.
Robinson's tenacity in the face of bigotry and scorn from fans after he was signed in 1947 also would serve as a lesson to today's petulant athletes, said Baldwin.
"See what Jackie Robinson went through," Baldwin said. "You just have to say, how did this man have enough poise and sophistication and the courage to realize that for the good of mankind, for the good of his race, he had to succeed. And he didn't just succeed. He was a great, great baseball player."
The filmmakers said they will be working closely with executives in Major League Baseball and that the project has the blessing of Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, and Branch Rickey Jr., son of the Dodgers general manager.
Baldwin said he hoped production would begin early next year, with the film coming out in late 2006 or early 2007. Kirk Ellis, whose credits include scripts for the TV movies "Anne Frank" and "The Beach Boys: An American Family," is writing the screenplay.
Other than Redford, no actors have been cast. Once a script is in hand, Baldwin said he would hope to gauge "Ray" star Foxx's interest.
"At the appropriate time, we'd be nuts not to want to talk to Jamie," Baldwin said.
I hope it's as good a Ray was and better than the classic
Redford, who starred in the 1984 baseball flick "The Natural," also will play Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson as the first black player in Major League Baseball.
"This will be our next `Ray,'" said producer Howard Baldwin, whose film on Charles earned the best-actor Academy Award.
"This is one of the most important stories not just in sports, but in our history," Baldwin told The Associated Press on Monday.
Robinson himself starred in 1950's "The Jackie Robinson Story," a dramatization of his entry into baseball.
A fresh big-screen take on Robinson's triumphant career would be good public relations for baseball, now mired in a steroids scandal, Baldwin said.
Robinson's tenacity in the face of bigotry and scorn from fans after he was signed in 1947 also would serve as a lesson to today's petulant athletes, said Baldwin.
"See what Jackie Robinson went through," Baldwin said. "You just have to say, how did this man have enough poise and sophistication and the courage to realize that for the good of mankind, for the good of his race, he had to succeed. And he didn't just succeed. He was a great, great baseball player."
The filmmakers said they will be working closely with executives in Major League Baseball and that the project has the blessing of Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, and Branch Rickey Jr., son of the Dodgers general manager.
Baldwin said he hoped production would begin early next year, with the film coming out in late 2006 or early 2007. Kirk Ellis, whose credits include scripts for the TV movies "Anne Frank" and "The Beach Boys: An American Family," is writing the screenplay.
Other than Redford, no actors have been cast. Once a script is in hand, Baldwin said he would hope to gauge "Ray" star Foxx's interest.
"At the appropriate time, we'd be nuts not to want to talk to Jamie," Baldwin said.
I hope it's as good a Ray was and better than the classic
03-29-05, 10:05 PM
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I'm just glad Will Smith wasn't tapped for the role.
03-30-05, 12:31 AM
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Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Interesting. I hope they don't use Jamie Foxx, there are other African-American actors out there. As it stands in Hollywood there are like 5.
Will Smith better watch his ass....
Last edited by Giantrobo; 03-30-05 at 07:12 AM.
03-30-05, 06:46 AM
#7
DVD Talk Limited Edition
So-so news. Hopefully they will go with some unknown actor so we can move the total up to 6 black actors in Hollywood. I just hope the writers don't end the film with him playing with the Dodges (as I've read elsewhere). It would be nice to show the audience what Robinson did after retiring and the effect that ordeal had on his life.
03-30-05, 12:28 PM
#11
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally Posted by souvenir
I guess that eliminates Spike Lee's long-planned version for the time being.
I always thought Wayne Brady kind of resembled Robinson.
