The first look at Dennis Quaid as the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, has arrived in a new image from the upcoming biopic, Reagan. Quaid’s career has been relatively quiet over the past several years, with few notable hits to his credit. However, the 66-year-old is looking to change that with his lead role in Reagan.
Before he was elected President in 1981, Reagan enjoyed a lengthy career as a Hollywood actor, which ran for nearly thirty years. After serving for eight years as governor of California, Reagan led the Republican party to the White House. Throughout his two terms as president, Reagan was embroiled in numerous scandals, including the Iran-Contra affair, Grenada's invasion, and a very lackluster response to the AIDS epidemic. None the less, Reagan’s supporters remained fiercely loyal. Even today, some 32 years after his presidency ended and 17 years after his death, some still feel that his time in office was highly beneficial to America and the world. Now with a new Reagan biopic on its way from Cats and Dogs 3: Paws Unite director, Sean McNamara, the life and times of the 40th president will be on display for all to see and consider.
The new film is due to arrive in theatres in early 2022, and now thanks to EW, the first look at Quaid as Reagan has arrived. Fortunately, for those who might not recall just what the former president looked like, EW has provided a photo of Reagan alongside Quaid's photo. The result is a casting decision that seems pretty accurate, though this being down to a matter of opinion, there will be no shortage of those who disagree. The exclusive first image from Reagan can be seen below:
While most biopics follow the more well-established events in their protagonists' lives, McNamara has already stated that he is taking a less worn path. The filmmaker has reportedly spent a great deal of time collecting anecdotes from those who knew the former president, many of which have never been publicly shared. The film will follow the entire life of Reagan, from his childhood in Illinois to his post-presidential days, and according to McNamara, the film isn’t about valuing one political perspective over another. At the same turn, however, McNamara plans to focus on the opinion that Reagan saved the world from communism – a touchy subject that many people won’t agree with.
Yet, regardless of the film’s aims, Quaid taking on the role of Reagan could prove to be a highlight of his career. The part certainly has its share of twists and turns. Still, unfortunately, Hollywood seems to consistently forget that while some Americans may find a presidential biopic intriguing, the rest of the world typically doesn’t. Past attempts such as W, Nixon, and LBJ have all fallen flat at the global box office, leaving the likes of Reagan with a significant uphill climb in its pursuit of success.
Source: EW