Channing Tatum to act and produce Sony’s Evel Knievel movie alongside Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti
Channing Tatum has landed a new acting and producing gig. Red hot off his stripper movie, Magic Mike, the actor is set to suit up as a daredevil in Sony’s biopic Evel Knievel.
According to a story by Hollywood Reporter, Tatum is in negotiation to not only act in the film, but to serve as co-producer alongside newly revered movie makers, Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti. Tatum and his partner Reid Carolin will produce via their Iron Horse Entertainment company. Carolin will also write the screenplay.
The stuntman Evel Knievel, born Robert Craig Knievel, became a household name in the 1970s for doing dangerous motorcycle jumps on national TV. He was also known to have broken 433 of his bones. During his run as a famous stuntman, Knievel garnered endorsements from Harley-Davidson and a toy line deal by the Ideal Toy Company. He died in 2007 at the age of 69.
Tatum’s Evel Knievel won’t be the first time a movie was made about the stuntman. George Hamilton played the thrill seeker in the 1971 film Evel Knievel, while Knievel himself starred in a 1977 movie called Viva Knievel!
After playing Magic Mike in the semi autobiographical film, Tatum seems keen on playing real life characters. Before he tackles the Evel Knievel role, the actor will soon begin shooting Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, based on real-life Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz.
Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti also landed a new gig themselves producing Universal’s controversial erotica, Fifty Shades of Grey.
