Ansel Elgort looks to be ready to make his departure from the YA-drama genre in a big way with Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver.” Now, according to Deadline, the actor is taking more steps away from being everyone’s favorite teen heartthrob by signing up to play President John. F. Kennedy in the upcoming, “Mayday 109.”
If you’re thinking that Elgort is a bit on the young side to portray a President, you’d be right. He’s portraying WWII-era JFK, as he was a heroic Navy Captain. “Mayday 109” will tell the story of JFK as Captain of a PT boat that was attacked by Japanese destroyers. Young JFK went on to be involved in the eventual dramatic rescue.
Co-producer Basil Iwanyk said, about Elgort, “We could not be more excited about Ansel coming aboard. Not only is he a tremendous actor, he embodies the charisma, athleticism, and looks of a young JFK. We love that this is not a biopic nor a film about politics. This is simply a riveting and unbelievable tale that very few people know – about a young man who was a hero long before becoming the iconic 35th President of the United States. With Ansel, we’ve found our perfect JFK.”
“Mayday 109” is written by Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore, who recently scripted “Keeper of the Diary,” which is directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh. No director has been tapped, as of yet, but with Elgort signed, the focus is now on finding the right person to helm the project.
