Clint Eastwood Could Be Directing ‘The Ballad of Richard Jewell’
Clint Eastwood could be directing a movie about Richard Jewell, whose life was turned upside down after being wrongly identified as a potential suspect in the 1996 Olympic bombing.
Peter Kramer / Associated Press
Legendary Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood is at the top of a short list to direct “The Ballad of Richard Jewell” for Disney/Fox, according to media reports. Eastwood had previously shown interest in the script when it was in development at 20th Century Fox.
The adapted screenplay is by Billy Ray (“The Hunger Games,” “Captain Phillips”) and is based on the 1997 Vanity Fair profile story of the same name by Marie Brenner about Jewell, who was a security guard at Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Olympics. He was initially hailed as a hero after he recognized a backpack under a bench as being suspicious, notified Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers in the park and helped clear the area.
Soon after, however, he was splashed on news pages as a potential suspect in the July 27 bombing before being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Brenner spent weeks in Atlanta with Jewell, his mother and lawyer G. Watson Bryant Jr. as they navigated the rough waters that come with being guilty in the public eye courtesy of the local and national media before having a day in court or even being arrested.
“I can’t think of a better person to be making the movie,” said Watson, who is still practicing law in Atlanta, of the Eastwood rumors. “I trust Eastwood, he’s been a hero of mine since he was Rowdy Yates [on Rawhide], so I’m delighted.
There was speculation that Jonah Hill (as Jewell) and Leonardo DiCaprio (as Bryant) may have been attached to the film, which has plans to begin filming this summer with an expected release date some time in 2020. But, according to Deadline, the two might no longer be in contention, leaving Eastwood to assemble his own cast if the project moves forward.
“As long as they do it right and honor Richard’s memory as the hero he was that night I don’t care who plays me,” said Bryant.”I don’t care if Danny DeVito plays me.”
The 1996 Olympic bombing killed Alice Hawthorne and injured dozens of others. Had it not been for Jewell’s actions that day, many more could have lost their lives. Eric Rudolph was later found guilty in that bombing and several others in Atlanta and Birmingham between 1996 and 1998.
On a stretch of Georgia Highway 82 between mile markers 15 and 16 there is a small bridge leading from Waycross to Tifton named after Jewell, who passed away more than a decade ago at the age of 44. He had not only been cleared of all charges but 10 years after the bombing was acknowledged by the state during a ceremony at the capitol.
According to Watson, Jewell would be happy about the project, his story, being in the capable hands of Eastwood.
“I know if Richard could speak to me now he’d say ‘Yeah man, do it’,” said Watson of his old friend and client. “It’s pretty unbelievable, I hope it comes to pass.”
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