President Obama is hoping for an opportunity to visit the set of the Jackie Robinson Biopic, titled 42,
According to a Deadline report, Legendary Entertainment chief Thomas Tull says that the White House called him last week asking if it was OK for the President to drop by. 42 is being filmed in Atlanta, where Obama will be appearing at fundraisers on June 26.
In a number of his campaign speeches, Obama has talked about Robinson, the first African American to break the color barrier in professional baseball. The president credits Robinson for “laying the groundwork” for a Black man to become a President of the United States.
Hollywood has been a major contributor to Obama’s reelection campaign. Tull admits he’s already donated $35,000 to the Obama Victory Fund 2012 and intends to give more. At Obama’s last visit to Atlanta in March, the president held a couple of fundraisers at Tyler Perry’s film studio.
42, was titled after the jersey number Robinson wore and chronicles his first season in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers as a Black man. The film is directed by Brian Helgeland and stars Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson and Harrison Ford as Dodgers GM, Branch Rickey. 42 opens in theaters April 12, 2013
