An untitled film from Universal about Lou Gehrig is in the works, and Glen Powell will star as the New York Yankees legend.
Powell will team up again with director Richard Linklater after they worked together on the 2016 baseball-related comedy Everybody Wants Some, which Linklater considered a “spiritual sequel” to his classic 1993 film Dazed and Confused. They also worked together on the 2024 Netflix comedy movie Hitman, so they’ve formed a strong rapport.
The news was first reported by Deadline, which adds, “Lifelong Yankee fan Lorne Michaels will produce alongside Erin David under Broadway Video’s first-look deal with Universal. Powell will produce alongside Dan Cohen in Barnstorm’s first-look deal with the studio.”
Gehrig is one of the greatest players in baseball history, hitting 493 home runs, recording 2,721 hits, and putting together a remarkable career slash line of .340/.447/.632 over 17 big-league seasons, all with the Yankees. The “Iron Horse” was a two-time American League MVP and played a huge part in the Yankees winning six World Series titles. Additionally, he hit for the Triple Crown in 1934. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Along with producing an incredible baseball career, Gehrig is known as much for how his career was cut short in 1939. Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neuromuscular illness that many now refer to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
On July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium, Gehrig delivered an iconic farewell speech in which he referred to himself as “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
Major League Baseball now observes June 2 as Lou Gehrig Day annually in memory of Gehrig and to raise awareness for ALS.
While Powell wasn’t a household name when Everybody Wants Some came out in 2016, he has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood since, with Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters, and The Running Man among his blockbuster film roles.
Additionally, Powell is a huge sports fan, known for his Texas Longhorns fandom that has led to appearances on ESPN’s College GameDay. He also stars as a quarterback in the Hulu football comedy series Chad Powers, based on a character originally portrayed by Eli Manning.
There’s no production start date set yet for the Gehrig biopic.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
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