T.R. Knight Nabs Jackie Robinson Biopic
After leaving Grey’s Anatomy, T.R. Knight kept a low profile with his television and film career, besides a stint on Law & Order: SUV, in favor for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows such as Parade, and A Life in the Theater where he was opposite Broadway aficionado Patrick Stewart.
The Hollywood Reporter broke news that Knight’s first big feature film will be the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42, which will see Knight as Harold Parrot, a secretary who dealt with numerous booking problems the Dodgers had to face with hotels because of Robinson.
Newcomer Chadwick Boseman will be portraying the baseball player who broke down racial lines in the league, and Brian Helgeland (famous for penning L.A. Confidential, Robin Hood, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) will be writing and directing the biopic, while Harrison Ford will be playing Branch Ricky, the man who signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The film is said to document Robinson’s rise to fame in 1947 when he was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first African American baseball player signed to a professional team, and will capture his struggles of overcoming racism, and his isolation the he experienced in the league because of it.
CEO Legendary Pictures head Thomas Tull will be heading up the production on the film, while the company’s CCO Jon Jashni will be executive producing along with Disney representative Dick Cook, who just so happens to be the chairman of Disney.
What do you think about the shaping of this cast? Is this the right cast for the biopic? Do you think this role with rejuvenate the quiet career of T.R. Knight? Weigh in here!
