A new Marielle Heller movie is cause for excitement (especially after a career nadir with 2024’s “Nightbitch“). A reunion between Heller and “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” star Tom Hanks is more exhilarating still. Add in the fact that they’ll join forces on an adaptation of a beloved Dave Eggers short story about baseball? This is easily one of the most anticipated films of the next couple of years.
But the stars are aligning in a way that may cause “The Comebacker” to become a very special project. Variety reports that Heller has her eyes on two buzzy names to co-star with Hanks in her upcoming film, and if they sign on, it’ll be a big deal. Name #1? Rap star Bad Bunny, who’s coming off his much-celebrated Super Bowl halftime show. And Name #2? Colman Domingo, who’s quietly become one of the more active character actors in Hollywood the past few years.
As for who either of them will play? That remains a mystery right now, but Bad Bunny could be a good fit for the young baseball pitcher at the heart of Eggers’ story. “The Comebacker,” one of the writer’s most celebrated works, follows a fading sports journalist whose passion for writing and his favorite sport is unexpectedly reinvigorated by a major league newcomer. After a freak head injury caused by a line drive to the skull, the upstart pitcher starts exhibiting erratic behavior, including waxing poetic about the sport at press conferences, which causes the journalist to rediscover their spark.
Eggers’ short story centers on the San Francisco Giants, but Heller’s adaptation will switch team affiliation to the New York Mets; that’s bound to scandalize some fans of “The Comebacker.” It’s also worth noting that “The Comebacker” will be the third time Hanks stars in an adaptation of Eggers’ work. The previous ones? “A Hologram For The King” and “The Circle.”
As noted earlier, both Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) and Domingo are still in talks to join “The Comebacker,” so it’s unclear who they’ll play if they sign on. And Heller’s latest is still in very early stages, too. There’s a bidding war amongst studios right now to acquire the film, with Sony Pictures in the lead currently. No surprise there, as Sony released 2019’s “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.”
Would Bad Bunny’s interest in “The Comebacker” explain why Hanks made an appearance at one of the rapper’s shows in Australia last month? It’s highly likely. If the rapper signs on for Heller’s film, it’d be his biggest movie role to date. Bad Bunny’s previous onscreen work includes last year’s “Caught Stealing,” “Bullet Train,” and “Happy Gilmore 2“, all small roles. Heller no doubt would like to provide him with a meatier role.
Stay tuned for more details on “The Comebacker” as they arrive.
