Chris Columbus to Adapt John Grisham's CALICO JOE

Movie Chris Columbus by Joey Paur

Chris Columbus (Harry Potter) has picked up the rights to John Grisham's novel,Calico Joe, a coming of age story based around the sport of baseball, "about fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption." Columbus will both write and direct the adaptation. Columbus had this to say in a statement,

When I finished this beautiful, deeply moving novel, I immediately started to see the movie in my head. I knew that I had to write and directCalico Joe. The story deals with universal themes of betrayal, tragedy and redemption. It has the potential to be a classic film and I am honored to be a part of it.

I'm not a big fan of the sport of baseball, but for some reason I love movies that center around it. This sounds like a solid story that will make for a great film.

Here's the description from the book:

It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz.

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

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