Movie and TV Presidents: Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You
As this month's theme comes to an end, this entry will look two upcoming movies about US Presidents. In the recent past biopics have been hit and miss when it comes to making money at the box office. Clint Eastwood's 2011 movie J. Edgar about the life of J. Edgar Hoover cost $35 million to make and grossed almost $85 million. But Oliver Stone's 1995 film Nixon cost $44 million to make and only brought in $13 million. A movie about the life of Woodrow Wilson based on Scott Berg's award-winning biography has been rumored since 2013, but has not gotten off the ground yet. So it is unclear whether the two recently announced projects mentioned in this article will ever make it to theatres, but for the time being they are in the works.
The first is a retelling of the story of John F. Kennedy's war heroism in PT-109 called Mayday 109. The film will feature the 24 year old actor Ansel Elgort, the star of last summer's "Baby Driver", as a young JFK. The film is described as "the true story of the future American president’s feats of heroism as a Navy captain during WWII." The film is a co-production between Thunder Road Pictures and Flynn Picture Co. Elgort is also named as one of four producers of the film. The producers are searching for a director according to a recent article. The script for the film was written by Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore. The script for Mayday 109 is said to focus on John Kennedy’s extraordinary real-life nautical adventures as the captain of a PT boat that was attacked and sunk by a convoy of Japanese destroyers, leading to one of the most dramatic rescues in Naval history.
Elgort’s breakout as a leading actor came in the movie version of the novel "The Fault In Our Stars" and his box office draw grew from the success of Baby Driver. Thunder Road principal Basil Iwanyk has said of Elgort's casting, “We could not be more excited about Ansel coming aboard. Not only is he a tremendous actor, he embodies the charisma, athleticism and looks of a young JFK. We love that this is not a biopic nor a film about politics. This is simply a riveting and unbelievable tale that very few people know, about a young man who was a hero long before becoming the iconic 35th President of the United States. With Ansel, we’ve found our perfect JFK.”
The second film is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt that will star Leonardo DiCaprio as the energetic President. DiCaprio is scheduled to once again team up with director Martin Scorsese on the project. The film will be made by Paramount Pictures and it's working title is Roosevelt. It is described as a biopic revolving around the life of Theodore Roosevelt. DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson are the producers, along with Scorsese, Emma Koskoff and Chuck Pacheco. Scott Bloom will write the script.
The script is said to include Roosevelt's role as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and his writings about naval strategies that are still studied today. It will also cover his service in the Spanish-American War, his rise in politics as the Governor of New York, Vice President and his ascension to the Presidency following the assassination of William McKinley. Roosevelt's efforts in conservationism and preserving the country’s national parks are said to be a motivating factor for DiCaprio's interest in the project, given the actor's own efforts in climate change and environmentalism.
It's unclear as to when this might make its way to the big screen. DiCaprio and Scorsese are currently developing a handful of films including The Devil in the White City and Killers of the Flower Moon (reviewed here in this community). The two last worked together on The Wolf of Wall Street.
I hope you have enjoyed this month's subject. I'm still not sure what June's subject will be, but I suspect it will be a return to something more within the realm of black letter history.
The first is a retelling of the story of John F. Kennedy's war heroism in PT-109 called Mayday 109. The film will feature the 24 year old actor Ansel Elgort, the star of last summer's "Baby Driver", as a young JFK. The film is described as "the true story of the future American president’s feats of heroism as a Navy captain during WWII." The film is a co-production between Thunder Road Pictures and Flynn Picture Co. Elgort is also named as one of four producers of the film. The producers are searching for a director according to a recent article. The script for the film was written by Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore. The script for Mayday 109 is said to focus on John Kennedy’s extraordinary real-life nautical adventures as the captain of a PT boat that was attacked and sunk by a convoy of Japanese destroyers, leading to one of the most dramatic rescues in Naval history.
Elgort’s breakout as a leading actor came in the movie version of the novel "The Fault In Our Stars" and his box office draw grew from the success of Baby Driver. Thunder Road principal Basil Iwanyk has said of Elgort's casting, “We could not be more excited about Ansel coming aboard. Not only is he a tremendous actor, he embodies the charisma, athleticism and looks of a young JFK. We love that this is not a biopic nor a film about politics. This is simply a riveting and unbelievable tale that very few people know, about a young man who was a hero long before becoming the iconic 35th President of the United States. With Ansel, we’ve found our perfect JFK.”
The second film is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt that will star Leonardo DiCaprio as the energetic President. DiCaprio is scheduled to once again team up with director Martin Scorsese on the project. The film will be made by Paramount Pictures and it's working title is Roosevelt. It is described as a biopic revolving around the life of Theodore Roosevelt. DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson are the producers, along with Scorsese, Emma Koskoff and Chuck Pacheco. Scott Bloom will write the script.
The script is said to include Roosevelt's role as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and his writings about naval strategies that are still studied today. It will also cover his service in the Spanish-American War, his rise in politics as the Governor of New York, Vice President and his ascension to the Presidency following the assassination of William McKinley. Roosevelt's efforts in conservationism and preserving the country’s national parks are said to be a motivating factor for DiCaprio's interest in the project, given the actor's own efforts in climate change and environmentalism.
It's unclear as to when this might make its way to the big screen. DiCaprio and Scorsese are currently developing a handful of films including The Devil in the White City and Killers of the Flower Moon (reviewed here in this community). The two last worked together on The Wolf of Wall Street.
I hope you have enjoyed this month's subject. I'm still not sure what June's subject will be, but I suspect it will be a return to something more within the realm of black letter history.