Following “Southpaw’s” strong performance at the box office, Jake Gyllenhaal looks to have his eye on another underdog tale, this time following the tragic events of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Sources tell Variety that Gyllenhaal is in early talks to star in Lionsgate’s “Stronger,” which tells the true story of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs in the attack. Sources say that after execs met with several A-list actors, Gyllenhaal is the favorite to land the role and that an offer is expected to come shortly.
Lionsgate had no comment.
David Gordon Green recently signed on to direct the pic. John Pollono has adapted the script for “Stronger,” which marks his full-length feature debut.
Fox Searchlight has set an April 8 limited release for Demolition, Jean-Marc Vallée’s romantic drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts. The Southpaw actor stars as Davis, an investment banker trying to rebuild his life after his wife’s death. A complaint letter to a vending machine company leads to a series of emotional and increasingly personal missives that catch the eye of a customer service rep (Watts) with issues of her own. They bond and, with the help of her unusual son (newcomer Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild. Oscar winner Chris Cooper co-stars as Davis’ pressuring father-in-law.
The 72nd Venice Film Festival will open with Baltasar Kormakur’s survival thriller “Everest,” which chronicles a climbing expedition on Mount Everest that takes a dangerous turn and leaves the adventurers fighting for survival. The film is based on true events that took place in 1996.
