After years of development,Channing Tatum’sUntitled Evel Knievel Biopicfinally seems to be moving forward, withThe Tracking Boardreporting thatDarren Aronofskyhas signed on to direct.Peter Bergwas attached to direct back in April, but dropped out for unknown reasons.Channing Tatum’s longtime producing partnerReid Carolinwrote the original screenplay, but that will now be rewritten byScott Silver(The Fighter).
Evel Knievel, bornRobert Craig Knievel, became a world-famous stuntman and entertainer in the 1960s and 1970s. The performer got his start by jumping over crates of rattlesnakes and mountain lions to provide for his family. After performing on the state fair circuit in Indio, California,Evel Knievelsuffered the first of his numerous injuries, which lead to his stunt troupe disbanding while he recuperated. He ended up going solo, jumping cars and other vehicles instead of animals, as he became a household name.
Evel Knievelperformed more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, including a 1974 jump over the Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2. He suffered more than 433 broken bones throughout his legendary career, earning him a Guinness world record as the survivor of most broken bones in a lifetime. Thedaredevilpassed away from a pulmonary diseason in 2007, at the age of 69.
Channing Tatum has been trying to get thisEvel Knievelproject off the ground for years. We first reported that the actor was set to star and produce thebiopicback in 2012, at the same time as another biopic onEvel Knievelwas being developed by formerstuntmanturned director,Ric Roman Waugh. It isn’t known if that project is still moving forward or not.
Sony, Film 44 and Trigger Street will produce the project withDana Brunetti,Michael De Lucaand Channing Tatum serving as producers.Darren Aronofskymost recently directedNoahfor Paramount Pictures.Channing Tatumis coming off roles inJupiter AscendingandMagic Mike XXL, and he will next be seen inThe Hateful Eight. Do you thinkChanning Tatumwill be able to bringEvel Knievel’s story to life?
