Back in 2011, authorsJames Andrew MillerandTom Shalesreleased a book titledThose Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPNthat chronicled the formation of the powerhouse sports network in oral history form. It caused something of a stir in Bristol, and the following news may as well, as Collider has exclusively learned thatJames Francois in negotiations to direct an adaptation of the book for Focus Features.
Collider has also learned thatHalt and Catch Fireco-creatorChristopher C. Rogershas been tapped to rewrite the script, which will follow Bill Rasmussen, a communications executive who teamed up with his son, Scott, to launch the world’s first 24-hour cable TV network. But first, the Rasmussens had to max out their credit cards to scrape together enough cash to reserve a satellite transponder so they could show sporting events nonstop throughout the day.
In addition to Rasmussen and his family, key characters will includeStu Evey, the former Getty Oil executive who became the founding chairman of ESPN; NBC Sports presidentChet Simmons, who left NBC to become the president of ESPN; RCA salesmanAl Parinello; Anheuser-Busch execClaude Bishop; andScotty Connal, an early VP of production at ESPN.
Miller was hired to write the script in 2015, and he told formerSportsCenteranchorDan Patrickthat the film will effectively will be a corporate biopic of ESPN, similar in approach to bothThe Social NetworkandMoneyball. The book is based on more than 500 interviews with ESPN insiders, athletes and others.Michael De Luca,Jamie PatricofandJulie Yornare producing the film, while executive producers are still being worked out.
The elephant(s) in the room, of course, are the sexual misconduct allegations against Franco that resurfaced last winter and may have cost him an Oscar nomination for his performance inThe Disaster Artist,though he vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Those allegations must be mentioned here (in fact, HBO chiefCasey Bloysaddressed them earlier today at TCA, saying the network “felt comfortable with a second season” of Franco’s seriesThe Deuce) but the purpose of this article isn’t to rehash them, and you’re welcome to debate this hiring on social media. Speaking strictly from an industry perspective, theESPNmovie would be a natural evolution for Franco as a filmmaker, as it’s the kind of project he seems well-suited for on the heels ofThe Disaster Artist, which was easily one of the Top 15 films of 2017. I don’t know what this adaptation will ultimately look like, but it sure would be interesting to see actors depict the formation of ESPN, interspersed with talking head interviews from the actual people who were there, a laAmerican Animals, or what I imagineSteven Soderbergh’sMoneyballmight have been had that version been made instead ofBennett Miller’s version.
TheESPNnews arrives hot on the heels of this morning’s announcement that the Coen brothers' new Netflix movie (yes, movie),The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which co-stars Franco, will debut at the Venice Film Festival. The always prolific Franco has three films in post-production as a director –Zeroville,The Long HomeandThe Pretenders– and the Oscar-nominated actor next stars in the sci-fi action movieKin. He’s also producing the stripper sagaZolafor A24. Franco is represented by UTA, Anonymous Content and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, and a representative for the actor did not respond to a request for comment.
Rogers and hisHalt and Catch Fireco-creatorChristopher Cantwellhave written several screenplays, including one that hasTop Gun 2’sJoseph Kosinskiattached to direct. He’s repped by UTA, Management 360 and Bloom Hergott.
