After hitting a home run with their 2016 college baseball film Everybody Wants Some!, Glen Powell and Richard Linklater are teaming up again for an untitled Lou Gehrig biopic at Universal Pictures. Powell will portray the iconic New York Yankees first baseman, with Linklater attached to direct. The script comes from Simon Rich, a former Saturday Night Live writer and creator of Man Seeking Woman and Miracle Workers.
Lifelong Yankees fan Lorne Michaels will produce alongside Erin David under Broadway Video's first-look deal at Universal. Powell will also produce via Barnstorm Productions alongside Dan Cohen. Other producers include Linklater through Detour Filmproduction. Universal's Senior EVP of Production Development Erik Baiers is overseeing the project.
Lou Gehrig remains one of the most revered figures in baseball history. The seven-time All-Star spent his entire 17-year career with the Yankees, winning six World Series titles, including with the legendary 1927 team often considered the greatest ever assembled. In 1934, Gehrig won the Triple Crown, hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBIs. His durability earned him the nickname "The Iron Horse," as he played in a record 2,130 consecutive games—a mark that stood until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in 1998.
Gehrig's streak and life took a tragic turn in 1939 when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neuromuscular disease now commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease. He retired that year and delivered his iconic farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, famously declaring, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He died two years later at age 37.
The only previous feature film to tell Gehrig's story was the 1942 classic Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper as Gehrig. That film included the retirement speech and became a beloved baseball movie. The new project will have to find a fresh angle; sources suggest an important role will be Babe Dahlgren, the teammate who replaced Gehrig at first base. The role of Dahlgren is expected to attract many young actors due to the high-profile cast and crew attached.
The exact timeframe and scope of the film remain unknown, but Powell and Linklater are eager to dive into the project after Powell finishes work on the second season of the Hulu football series Chad Powers. Powell is an avid sports fan, especially of his alma mater Texas Longhorns, making the Gehrig biopic a natural fit.
Powell's relationship with Universal dates back to his starring role in Twisters, which overperformed at the box office in 2024, grossing nearly $268 million domestically. He also has the upcoming J.J. Abrams film The Great Beyond set for fall 2027 and is producing The Comeback King, which Universal will release in theaters on February 5, 2027.
Richard Linklater and Powell previously collaborated on the 2024 Netflix comedy Hitman. When this Gehrig project surfaced, it felt like the perfect opportunity for the duo to reunite, given their shared interest in baseball and character-driven stories. Linklater is known for films such as Boyhood, the Before trilogy, and School of Rock.
Simon Rich, the screenwriter, most recently wrote Luca Guadagnino's Artificial, a film about OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman starring Andrew Garfield, which recently landed at Neon. Rich's other credits include An American Pickle and work at Pixar and The Simpsons.
The untitled Lou Gehrig film will aim to honor a baseball icon whose legacy transcends sports, bringing his story of perseverance, grace, and tragedy to a new generation. With no production start date set, Powell plans to take a brief break after an intense year of back-to-back projects before focusing on this passion project.
Source:MSN News