Legendary picks newcomer to see Jackie Robinson

BosemanRobinsonFordLegendary Pictures is swinging for your fences having its Jackie Robinson biopic "42," tapping relative newcomer Chadwick Boseman to see the Brooklyn Dodgers infielder and Harrison Ford to see baseball executive Branch Rickey. John Helgeland will direct in the script he composed. Pic follows the legendary story of Robinson, the initial African-American to sign up within the major leagues. Rickey, the innovative Major league baseball executive who's most broadly noted for breaking MLB's color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson with a minor league contract in 1945. couple of years later, at the outset of the 1947 major league baseball season, Robinson was signed for the Brooklyn Dodgers major league baseball team by utilizing Rickey. While Rickey remains the role most thought in recent days, the role of Robinson was preferred by a few stars including "Friday Evening Light"'s Michael B. Jordan and "Stomp the Yard"'s Columbus Short. Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce, with Dick Prepare professional creating. No distributor is positioned for your pic. Legendary labored in the beginning in development with Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, to be sure the movie adaptation in the famous player's story is authentic. Ironically, Boseman also came out in "The Express," which required it's origin in the real story of Ernie Davis (carried out by Make the most of Brown), the initial African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. He repped by Greene & Affiliate marketers. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com