Jack Nicholson offered role in Jackie Robinson Biopic 42

Movie Legendary Pictures Jackie Robinson about 12 years agoby

Vulture is reporting that Jack Nicholson has been offered a role in Legendary Pictures' Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. Brian Helgeland wrote and is attached to direct. At this time it's not known what role Nicholson was offered. Souces close to the project suggest it may be the part of Branch Rickey, "the Brooklyn Dodgers executive who was in his mid-sixties when, in 1945, he signed Robinson to a contract with the Dodgers’ minor league affiliate, the Montreal Royals. After Robinson led the league in both batting and fielding percentages that season, it was Rickey who — six days before the start of the 1947 season — called Robinson up to the Dodgers."

Here are some previously reported details about the project:

The movie will pay tribute to the legacy and impact Robinson made when he became the first African American Major League Baseball player.

Legendary will collaborate with Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, to ensure the authenticity of the famed player’s story.Brian Helgeland (LA CONFIDENTIAL / MYSTIC RIVER) will write and direct, with Legendary’s Chairman and CEO, Thomas Tull, producing, and Legendary’s Chief Creative Officer, Jon Jashni, serving as executive producer. Dick Cook, former Chairman ofWalt Disney Studios, will also serve as an executive producer. The project will fall under Legendary’s overall agreement withWarner Bros.

“We are deeply honored and grateful to be able to bring the Jackie Robinson story to audiences around the world,” said Tull. “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.”

“My family and I are thrilled to have this important film on Jack produced by Legendary Pictures. We are proud of his lasting impact on our society, and we know that the legacy he left is inspiring and worth preserving,” said Rachel Robinson.

“There are few opportunities that come along as a filmmaker that allow the opportunity to share a true story with your audience, let alone one as powerful and inspiring as that of Jackie Robinson’s,” stated Helgeland. “I believe that with the support ofRachel Robinson we have a unique opportunity to bring one of the most famed stories in American culture and baseball to the screen.”