Joel Kinnaman will play NFL player Jerry Smith in a Fandomodo Films feature, which he will also executive produce. The film will center around the close friendship between Smith and Brig Owens – his longtime Washington Redskins teammate. The movie will take place during the mid-1960s and mid-1970s, at the height of the civil rights movement.
In real life, Smith hid that he was gay up until his death from AIDS in 1986. On the other hand, Owens had to constantly face challenges as a Black man while attending law school. Despite their differences, Smith and Owens maintained a very close friendship and this is the epicenter of the upcoming movie.
Kinnaman expressed:
“Jerry Smith was a star on the field, but was never able to find fulfillment in his personal life,” Kinnaman said. “He had Brig to help him through his struggle, but to this day so many young people don’t have anyone to turn to when wrestling with homosexuality — especially in the sports world. That’s one of the reasons this story needs to be told. It’s as relevant today as it was 40 years ago.”
Owens is considered to be a huge player in the Civil Rights movement. In regard to the film, Owens expresses:
“Injustice for one person is injustice for every person. I hope audiences will find our battles inspiring as we all come to grips with how much work is yet to be done to confront the prejudice that is still so deeply rooted in America.”
There is still no official title, but the movie is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2021. Tommy Oliver will produce through his Confluential Films with Anthony Kaan via Fandomodo Films. Jon Bernthal is also credited as an executive producer.
Kaan released a statement:
“Before Colin Kaepernick, there was Brig Owens. He stood up for the rights of players at a time when nobody else dared speak. He fought for justice on the field and off, and protected Jerry at a time when America was about to hear about the Stonewall riots for the first time.”
What do you think about this untitled project?
Source: Variety
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