The yet-to-be-titled biopic will be based on Howard Bryant's biography book that follows Aaron's struggle to break Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974.
- Apr 4, 2012
AceShowbiz - A biopic about Baseball great Hank Aaron is officially in the works. Producers Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg have joined forces to bring the life story of the legendary athlete to the big screen. According to Variety, the true story movie will be helmed by "The Natural" director Barry Levinson with "Empire State" screenwriter Adam Mazer penning the script.
The untitled Hank Aaron biopic will be based on Howard Bryant's biography book "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron". The story will follow Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974. At that period, Aaron and his supporters often received death threats and hate mails because some people didn't want a black man to break Ruth's record.
Of the upcoming biopic, Aaron said, "This was a difficult time in my life, but I'm confident we can all learn a little something from looking back at those times." The legendary right fielder himself, who ended his career with 755 homers, will serve as a consultant for the project.
Producer Mazer added in a statement, "My first sports memory as a kid was watching Henry Aaron hit No. 715. At that time, I had no idea how profound a moment it was for baseball and, more importantly, the nation. To have the opportunity now to bring this harrowing journey to the screen is an honor and a thrill."
As for Tollin, the producer is no stranger to Aaron's story. He has previously written, produced and directed a 1995 documentary about Hank Aaron called "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream". He is also a member of the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to inner-city youth.
