A few years back, as part of their excellent, ongoing documentary series "30 For 30," ESPN unveiled "The Price of Gold," a look at the scandal that made headlines around the world when in 1994, when figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and injured by her rival Tonya Harding. It was a story that had it all — sports, jealousy, high stakes intrigue — but as the documentary by Nanette Burnstein ("Going The Distance," "American Teen") revealed, there was even more going on beneath the surface. Now, the tale will be dramatized in "I, Tonya" with a rather interesting choice for the lead.
Deadline reports that Margot Robbie will take the role of Tonya Harding in the picture. Screenwriter Steve Rogers interviewed Harding and her husband Jeff Gillooly as he put together his script, getting the perspective of an athlete who was well outside the wealthy world that Olympians are often part of. However, Harding was also somewhat of an ugly duckling compared to Kerrigan, and it’s another key element of how that story played out, particularly in the media, as sympathies swung to the injured athlete. So having Robbie, who is decidedly not unattractive, is certainly an interesting choice for Harding, but perhaps she’ll go toward a Charlize Theron/"Monster" type transformation.
The project is still looking for a director and financing, so it’s not rolling just yet, but it’s one that’s sure to drum up interest. Any thoughts on who should play Kerrigan or Gillooly? Let us know below.
