Glen Powell is stepping up to the plate to play one of the most legendary names in baseball history.
The Austin raised actor will portray New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig in a new, currently untitled movie directed by fellow Texas filmmaker Richard Linklater.
Gehrig, famously nicknamed “The Iron Horse,” spent his entire 17 season Major League Baseball career with the Yankees and became one of the most celebrated players in the history of the game. His career came to an end in 1939 after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS and now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Gehrig died in 1941 at just 37 years old. In an interesting coincidence, Powell is also currently 37.
Details about exactly what part of Gehrig’s life the movie will focus on have not been revealed, although reports indicate Babe Dahlgren, the player who replaced Gehrig at first base for the Yankees, will be part of the story.
The project reunites Powell with Linklater, who previously worked together on Everybody Wants Some!! and Hit Man. The screenplay will be written by Simon Rich, with Saturday Night Live creator and longtime Yankees fan Lorne Michaels among the producers.
Universal Pictures will distribute the film. A production start date and release date have not yet been announced.
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