It’s looking like Glen Powell and Richard Linklater are ready to work together once again. According to Deadline, Universal has greenlit an untitled biopic of Yankees legend Lou Gehrig, with Powell attached to star while Linklater is directing. Linklater, who often writes his films, and even wrote his last collaboration with Powell, “Hit Man,” will be forgoing screenwriter duties, bringing to life a script by Simon Rich. The film will even be produced by television legend and “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.
Gehrig, nicknamed “The Iron Horse,” played seventeen years for the New York Yankees as a first baseman, earning the elusive Triple Crown in 1939. His career was abruptly ended after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neuromuscular disease known by many as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gehrig died only a few years after stepping off the mound at the young age of 37. His legacy is insurmountable not only on the field but off of it as well.
This project would mark the third time Powell and Linklater have worked together. Their first collaboration was the 2016 baseball comedy “Everybody Wants Some!” which followed a group of college baseball players drinking, smoking, and driving the days away. The two then reunited for “Hit Man” in 2023, which followed a professor who moonlights as a fake hitman to help local law enforcement, leading him into a whirlwind of events. Every time the two work together, it’s magic, so expect this project to be something special, especially a subject like Gehrig. Little is known about how extensively the film will explore Gehrig’s life, as no production date has been set yet. Sources say the production is searching for an actor to star as Babe Dahlgren, the man tasked with replacing Gehrig at first base, which is said to be a substantial role in the film.
Are you excited for Glen Powell and Richard Linklater to work together again? Who else do you think will be announced to join this ensemble? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
