Matt Damon is set to portray iconic politician Robert F. Kennedy in an upcoming biopic by Gary Ross, according to Deadline.
The tough sell that is that the RFK biopic was reportedly sold to New Regency with Damon on board though the quality of a script by “Eastern Promises” scribe Steven Knight will ultimately be Damon’s barometer for giving the project the thumbs up and subsequent studio green-light.
The script will be based on Evan Thomas’ biography, “His Life,” and reportedly trace Kennedy’s transformation from the younger brother in the shadow brother President John F Kennedy to a strong national leader in his own right before he was gunned down in 1968 at a victory speech for a presidential primary.
Helmer Ross has evidently long been fascinated with Kennedy having once optioned the Thomas book himself. Landscape Entertainment’s Bob Cooper has the current option and will produce with Ross and his Larger Than Life partner Alison Thomas.
Not only a politician though, RFK was a renowned civil rights activist, a pioneer for modern liberalism and a celebrity in his own right.
