Jackie Robinson Biopic Slides In

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first Black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. In 1947, Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball.

Now, Legendary Pictures has announced it has made a deal to collaborate with the estate of Jackie Robinson and his widow Rachel on a feature biopic about the Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman who broke Major League Baseball's color line. Brian Helgeland will write the script and direct the film. Legendary chairman and Hollywoodteur Thomas Tull will produce with former Walt Disney Studios exec, Dick Cook serving as an executive producer and Hollywoodteur insider on the film.

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. Robert Redford has for years tried to tackle the story from the vantage point of Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers executive who signed Robinson to the team. Both Cook and Tull are also big baseball fans, which led to Cook involving himself in the picture and getting the greenlight for via Legendary's deal at Warner Bros.

Robinson's speed, defense and hitting ability made him a Hall of Famer, but the core the film is his discipline and quiet determination. In not reacting to the taunts and threats of racist fans and fellow ballplayers, Robinson opened the door for other Black stars who followed him, like Larry Doby and Roy Campanella. His legacy goes way beyond hitting statistics. Tull said, "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."

While other Jackie Robinson projects stalled, Tull has the passion and capability to fund any film he cares about. Known mostly in Hollywoodteur circles for being a co-financier and producer of The Hangover Part II, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel, lately Legendary has been gravitating to movies about icons. A recent film about iconic 60s rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix was halted when Tull could not get the Hendrix estate on board, even though Paul Greengrass was lined up to direct with The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie poised to star.

Sounds like pure Oscar potential here. Anthony Mackie should be able to knock this Jackie biopic right out of the baseball.