Over the last week, we’ve been following the casting process of Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood’s latest project, “The Ballad of Richard Jewell.” With the two main stars already signed on, Sam Rockwell and Paul Walter Hauser, it appears that the filmmaker is still lining up some major talent for his upcoming drama.
Variety is reporting that Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm are the latest actors to join “The Ballad of Richard Jewell.” The film follows the true story of Richard Jewell, a security guard from the 1996 Olympic games that discovered an explosive and was able to evacuate the area before hundreds were potentially injured. Later, police would mistakenly accuse Jewell of planting the bomb himself, leading to the once-hero then becoming public enemy #1.
In the film, Wilde will portray real-life reporter Kathy Scruggs, who investigated the incident. And Hamm will play an FBI agent involved in the case.
Wilde is an accomplished actress with tons of great credits. However, most recently, she’s probably known as the director of one of the best films of the year, “Booksmart.” Also in the last couple of years, she’s appeared in the films “A Vigilante” and “Life Itself.”
Hamm is, of course, best known for his work as the lead in the AMC series “Madmen.” In recent years, however, the actor has been primarily seen on the big screen, with roles in “Baby Driver,” “Bad Times at the El Royale,” and “The Report.” He’ll next be seen in major films like “Lucy in the Sky” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Filming of “The Ballad of Richard Jewell” is expected to begin relatively soon, which would make a 2020 release likely.