Posted on 09/07/2010 8:24:48 PM PDT by MovieRepublic
The story of Ronald Reagan's life -- from boyhood to Hollywood actor to leader of the free world -- is about to spill out on the big screen in a way quite different from the miniseries that caused such a stir seven years ago.
The feature film, titled "Reagan" and sporting a $30 million production budget, is set for release late next year and will be based on two best-selling biographies of the 40th U.S. president by Paul Kengor: "The Crusader" and "God and Ronald Reagan."
Mark Joseph, who optioned the books four years ago, is co-producing with Ralph Winter and Jonas McCord wrote the script.
Winter's producing credits include four "X-Men" movies, two "Fantastic Four" movies and the 2001 remake of "Planet of the Apes." Joseph, a marketing and development executive, worked on "Ray," "Holes," "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "The Passion of the Christ."
McCord, whose credits include "Malice" and "The Body," said he wasn't a fan of Reagan but was drawn to the project as he researched the former president's upbringing.
"I was of the opinion that at best he was a bad actor and at worst a clown," McCord said.
But that sort of less-than-reverential treatment has been done before, as in the 2003 miniseries "The Reagans." That will have little in common with the feature film, which begins with the 1981 assassination attempt and tells Reagan's story through flashbacks and flash-forwards.
McCord describes Reagan's childhood as "a surreal Norman Rockwell painting with his alcoholic Catholic father, devout Christian mother, Catholic brother and ever-changing boarders the family took in."
Said Joseph: "This is a great story. I'm just glad no one else in Hollywood thinks so, or they'd have made this film by now."
The "Reagans" miniseries starred James Brolin as the president and was supposed to air on CBS until a controversy erupted over alleged left-wing bias and it was relegated to sibling premium cable outlet Showtime. It was seen by 1.2 million people.
"Only in Hollywood could you make an insulting, condescending movie about a much-loved historical figure, hire an actor who loathes the man, watch it flop and then somehow conclude that Americans don't want to see a movie about him," Joseph said. "I watched Americans line up and wait for 10 hours for the simple privilege of passing by his closed casket. They love this man."
No actors or director have been signed, and the producers are considering two distribution offers. They are in the midst of a final round of funding. (Click here to cast your vote for who should play Reagan.)
The filmmakers have created the production company Rawhide Pictures, an homage to the Secret Service code name for Reagan.
“I was of the opinion that at best he was a bad actor and at worst a clown,” McCord said.”
Well, this looks like another hatchet job. I recall the last Reagan biopic starred Mr. Barbra Streisand as Ron. History will look kindly on Ron despite the hundreds of millions of dollars that Hollywood spends desperately trying to convince otherwise. McCord sounds like just another petty little man.
So I guess Gingrich and his wife’s little movie wasn’t the last word?
“Looks like another hatchet job”
You took the words right out of my mouth.
You signed-up to post this.
What’s your opinion on the proposed film?
Have you seen the script?
This McCord’s quote seems to be in the past tense “was”.
He “was” of the opiniion.
That’s my thinking too.
And we waited over an hour in a line that nearly snaked out of the precinct just to VOTE for him in 1980! In a BLUE COLLAR neighborhood, in a UAW town! Reagan was loved!
By the time they’re done with him, Ronald Reagan will have been a drug addict, homophobe, racist, etc. etc.
I could be wrong, but over 95% of Hollywood is driven by libs, so it's a likely outcome.
If the producers want to make money, they’ll do it right.
One bad review and they’re sunk. We’re already sour on Marxist Hollywood.
Oh, I just can imagine this now......
Most reviewers are still libs, and one or two bad ones won't hurt if all the rest are saying how great a movie it is......subtext: Reagan is a warmongering moron.......
One review from one of our people or Rush and the film goes down in flames.
The liberals and gay activists blame Reagan for the spread of AIDS. They say he didn’t do enough to fight AIDS. So they already think he’s homophobic and racist and sexist and everything.
They will make it another 50/50 good/bad so that the new generation of nitwits who have not lived through those great years will have false half truths to slander him with. More progressive BS lying garbage from the same industry that brought you Che, Green Zone, The Mask II, JFK, Fahrenheit 911, Flashdance...
If it is based on Paul Kengor’s books, it would be nearly impossible to make it a bad or unflattering movie. Kengor is the best Reagan biographer out there-—and he is not, strictly speaking, a biographer. I use his “The Crusader” in all my modern U.S. history classes.
Avatar is a good example of a recent moveie panned by several conservatives that was a block buster.
I don't think conservatives have a lot of sway with the box office yet.
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