DeNiro To Play Vince Lombardi, Possible Midnight Run Sequel

Looks like ESPN is really giving it a go with this whole ESPN Films thing.  The latest news is the hiring of Robert DeNiro to play Vince Lombardi in the creatively titled Lombardi.

The film will focus on the years that Lombardi rebuilt the Packers into a gridiron powerhouse, and five-time champions, between 1959-67. The producers plan to release the film in late January 2012, between the AFC and NFC conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Prods. is producing along with ESPN Films, Andell, the NFL and Chris Olsen.

“There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of Lombardi, and we’re thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team,” said NFL vp programming Charles Coplin. “With the addition of De Niro, Eric and Tribeca Prods., we have a deep bench to produce a film worthy of the legendary coach and American icon.”   [via risky business]

The script is being written by Eric Roth who has already dabbled in the biographical sports movie section with the Oscar nominated Ali.  Definitely a bit skeptical of this as DeNiro hasn't done good work in years and the ESPN Films banner is still relatively unproven when trying to play with the big boys.  Should be interesting to see who they get to direct the project with Roth and DeNiro officially on board, we'll keep you updated.

In other DeNiro reliving the past news comes the following tidbit from Deadline, apparently they are going to make a sequel to the awesome Midnight Run.  Unfortunately the sequel will be without the unbelievably curmudgeonly fantastic Charles Grodin who retired from acting years ago to be a professional brodcast journalist.  I guess that's the kind of thing you have to deal with when you try and make a sequel more than 20 years later.  No word yet on the plot but Role Models writer Tim Dowling has been hired to pen the script.