Channing Tatum set to Play Evel Knievel
21 Jump Street star Channing Tatum is set to star in and produce a film about the legendary daredevil Evel Knievel. The movie is based on the book Life of Evel written by Stuart Barker. The book is being adapted by Tatum's producing partner Reid Carolin.
Born Robert Craig Knievel, Evel was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket. The 433 broken bones he suffered during his career earned him an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of "most bones broken in a lifetime". Knievel died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, aged 69 in 2007. According to the British paper The Times writing his obituary, Knievel was one of the greatest American icons of the 1970s. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
Tatum is blowing up right now. His latest film, Magic Mike, just came out and he's also got a ton of other projects lined up that include, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Bitter Pill, Fox Catcher, White House Down, Jupiter Ascending and a few more. This guy's star power just continues to grow.
I haven't been the biggest fan of Tatum over the years, but I enjoyed the character he played in 21 Jump Street, and he's got some interesting film projects coming out. What do you think about Tatum playing Knievel?