Matt Damon To Play Robert F. Kennedy?

Having just played real-life South African Rugby captain Francois Pienaar in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus, it looks like Matt Damon may be adding another real-life person to his résumé.

Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Damon is attached to star in a new biopic about the life of Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother of the 35th President John F. Kennedy. A deal has just closed at New Regency that attaches Damon to the lead role, and taps Gary Ross to direct with Steven Knight writing the script. Ross is probably best known for directing the multi-Oscar nominated Seabiscuit and Knight has written movies like Eastern Promises and Amazing Grace (he was also recently hired to adapt the Dan Brown bestseller, The Lost Symbol).

Deadline says that Damon is going to wait on the script before we know whether or not the project will go ahead with him in the key role. I presume the project would still happen if he turned it down, although they’ll need to find someone with the same caliber of acting chops and someone who can draw an audience in the same way.

The untitled biopic will be based on the book His Life, which was published in 2000. It was optioned by Landscape Entertainment’s Bob Cooper, who will produce the film along with Ross and his larger-than-life partner, Alison Thomas.

The film is said to trace the steps of Robert Kennedy’s transformation: from being in the shadow of older brother John to becoming a powerful leader in his own right, before he was assassinated in 1968. Robert F. Kennedy has already been the focus of a feature film, Emilio Estevez’s  Bobby, and Chris Columbus and his partners at 1492 are developing The Last Campaign which is about R.F. Kennedy’s presidential run.

Robert F. Kennedy greeting a crowd

I know some people don’t like them, but personally I really dig biopics. If done right (Walk the Line was an excellent example) they can be informative as well as dramatically compelling. The life of someone like Robert F. Kennedy is prime material for a biopic that can accomplish both those things. Damon is a great choice to play him, not just because of his draw with audiences and his strong acting ability but because he fits the role really well (he doesn’t look too dissimilar from the real life figure).

What do you think of Damon possibly portraying Robert F. Kennedy in a biopic? Is he suited to the role? If not, who would be a better choice?

Stay tuned to Screen Rant to find out whether Damon does end up taking the role.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

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