Things are going very, very well for Channing Tatum right now. Like some kind of bizarro world Taylor Kitsch, he's opened two movies this year to over $100 million—"The Vow" and "21 Jump Street"—with "Magic Mike" likely to reach that mark as well. It's even more remarkable considering it's across three different genres: romance, comedy and uh, stripping. And his upcoming calendar is looking very good as well, with production on Roland Emmerich's actioner "White House Down" to kick off next month, the Wachowskis sci-fi "Jupiter Ascending" following in the fall and Bennett Miller's true story crime tale "Foxcatcher" after that. But Tatum is continuing to strike while the iron is hot.
THR reports that he's set to produce and star in a biopic of famed stuntman and outsized personality Evel Knievel. A big name in the 1970s, he gamed notoreity as much for his dardevil motorcycle tricks, endorsements and trademark jumpsuit as for the number of broken bones he amassed over the years (433). In fact, his life has already inspired two movies: "Evel Knievel" starring George Hamilton (watch in full below) and "Viva Knievel" which starred the man himself in his own movie. He certainly didn't lack ego.
The plan here is for Tatum's regular producing partner and collaborator Reid Carolin to pen the script (based on the book "Life Of Evel" by Stuart Barker), with "The Social Network" and newly minted "Fifty Shades Of Grey" producers Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti producing. The project is set up over at Columbia Pictures, and honestly? Sounds like a good fit for Tatum. It's the kind of role that allows him to use his physique to good effect, as well as providing a part with lots of opportunity to flash his charisma. But when this one will get jumping off the production ramp remains to be seen, but it's likely a bit of a way off just yet.
