Concussion
Written & Directed by Peter Landesman
UK/Australia/USA, 2015
The new forensic drama Concussion tries so hard not to be a “football film” it compromises the most compelling aspects of its story. Director Peter Landesman’s reverence for his hero not only diffuses all of the drama and tension, it becomes an unrelenting exercise in idolatry. What he does have going for him, however, is a tremendous lead performance from Will Smith, which is almost enough to cover his film’s many shortcomings. Almost.
Much like 2015’s favorite child, Spotlight, Concussion speaks to the transformative power of an outsider. Only a new editor could recognize the rampant sexual predation within the Boston clergy community, just as Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) was the perfect man to indict the sport that galvanized an entire city. Born in Nigeria, Omalu came to America with idealistic dreams of accomplishment and white picket fences.
Written & Directed by Peter Landesman
UK/Australia/USA, 2015
The new forensic drama Concussion tries so hard not to be a “football film” it compromises the most compelling aspects of its story. Director Peter Landesman’s reverence for his hero not only diffuses all of the drama and tension, it becomes an unrelenting exercise in idolatry. What he does have going for him, however, is a tremendous lead performance from Will Smith, which is almost enough to cover his film’s many shortcomings. Almost.
Much like 2015’s favorite child, Spotlight, Concussion speaks to the transformative power of an outsider. Only a new editor could recognize the rampant sexual predation within the Boston clergy community, just as Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) was the perfect man to indict the sport that galvanized an entire city. Born in Nigeria, Omalu came to America with idealistic dreams of accomplishment and white picket fences.
- 12/25/2015
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
With the motion picture Concussion already a topic of national conversation among NFL fans and commentators, Sony Pictures Entertainment is offering NFL players and their families free admission to the movie during the duration of the film’s run, which begins on Christmas Day.
The studio has already engaged many current and former NFL players, holding private screenings in each team’s city in advance of its opening. By reaching out to the people who are most impacted by the film’s themes, the studio is engaging with the NFL players to join the national dialogue about the film.
Commenting on the announcement, Ridley Scott and Producer Giannina Scott (who first brought the project to him and produced it with him), said, “This is a movie for the players, so we wanted to give them a chance to see it before its nationwide release and free admission during its run in theaters.
The studio has already engaged many current and former NFL players, holding private screenings in each team’s city in advance of its opening. By reaching out to the people who are most impacted by the film’s themes, the studio is engaging with the NFL players to join the national dialogue about the film.
Commenting on the announcement, Ridley Scott and Producer Giannina Scott (who first brought the project to him and produced it with him), said, “This is a movie for the players, so we wanted to give them a chance to see it before its nationwide release and free admission during its run in theaters.
- 12/23/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A quietly horrifying, solidly entertaining medical procedural that makes no bones about the terrible damage American football causes to its players. I’m “biast” (pro): really like Will Smith
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have read the source material (and I like it)
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
So it turns out that repeated blows to the head over the course of, say, a 20-year football career, from high school to college to the NFL, can be rather bad for your brain. Like, it can make you crazy and then kill you, way before your time. Who knew? The NFL definitely knew by the early 2000s, when neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu documented a degenerative brain disease he dubbed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in former pro football players. They probably knew much earlier than that, but like how Big Tobacco denied any connection between...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have read the source material (and I like it)
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
So it turns out that repeated blows to the head over the course of, say, a 20-year football career, from high school to college to the NFL, can be rather bad for your brain. Like, it can make you crazy and then kill you, way before your time. Who knew? The NFL definitely knew by the early 2000s, when neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu documented a degenerative brain disease he dubbed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in former pro football players. They probably knew much earlier than that, but like how Big Tobacco denied any connection between...
- 12/21/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Head in the Game: Landesman Continues to Plumb the Headlines
Films based on notable or landmark pieces of newsprint tend to face an uphill battle in various phases of assembly, especially when the screenplay relies on tried and true bits of cliché to supply missing links in characterization. Compared to his 2013 Kennedy assassination reenactment Parkland, director and screenwriter Concussion, headlined by none other than Will Smith (in another instance of questionable casting) as a Nigerian born pathologist in the center of a medical controversy involving the NFL in the early 2000s.
Landesman, basing his film an article in GQ by Jeanne Marie Laskas, does his best to convey the seemingly insurmountable challenges Dr. Bennet Omalu, a foreign born immigrant, faced in bringing his discovery of Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) to light, defying big business America and one its most beloved and brainless pastime, the aggressive, perniciously violent contact sport known as football.
Films based on notable or landmark pieces of newsprint tend to face an uphill battle in various phases of assembly, especially when the screenplay relies on tried and true bits of cliché to supply missing links in characterization. Compared to his 2013 Kennedy assassination reenactment Parkland, director and screenwriter Concussion, headlined by none other than Will Smith (in another instance of questionable casting) as a Nigerian born pathologist in the center of a medical controversy involving the NFL in the early 2000s.
Landesman, basing his film an article in GQ by Jeanne Marie Laskas, does his best to convey the seemingly insurmountable challenges Dr. Bennet Omalu, a foreign born immigrant, faced in bringing his discovery of Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) to light, defying big business America and one its most beloved and brainless pastime, the aggressive, perniciously violent contact sport known as football.
- 12/21/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Will Smith stars in Concussion, a dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of Cte, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu’s emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.
The film stars Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, with David Morse and Albert Brooks. Written and directed by Peter Landesman.
Concussion opens in theaters on December 25, 2015.
Wamg invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of Concussion on Monday, December 21 at 7Pm in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
Dr. Omalu’s story was...
The film stars Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, with David Morse and Albert Brooks. Written and directed by Peter Landesman.
Concussion opens in theaters on December 25, 2015.
Wamg invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of Concussion on Monday, December 21 at 7Pm in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
Dr. Omalu’s story was...
- 12/18/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Concussion Columbia Pictures Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for Shockya. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: B Director: Peter Landesman Written by: Peter Landesman from an article by Jeanne Marie Laskas Cast: Will Smith, Stephen Moyer, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, David Morse, Eddie Marsan, Adewale Akinnuove-Agbaje, Luke Wilson Screened at: Critics’ DVD, NYC,12/5/15 Opens: December 25, 2015 The public loves movies that expose corporate misbehavior, efforts to cover up flaws that should be obvious to fairly educated and open-minded individuals. A superb example of an exposé occurs in one of the best satirical films to grace the screen, “Thank You For Smoking,” done in a comical and thoroughly ironic style as lobbyists [ Read More ]
The post Concussion Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Concussion Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/18/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"Concussion," a biopic starring Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, the doctor who discovers the brain diseasechronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) that affects NFL players, doesn't debut till Christmas. But this week the subject matter made the headlines twice. In last Sunday's game between the St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens, Rams quarterback Case Keenum continued to play even after he was sacked and his head hit the field; he went on to throw two incompletes and stumbled with a fumble and his team lost 16-13. And on Wednesday, the family of late gridiron legend Frank Gifford announced that an autopsy revealed he was afflicted with Cte. -Break- Subscribe to Gold Derby Breaking News Alerts & Experts' Latest Oscar Predictions "Concussion" writer/director Peter Landesman ("Parkland") adapted the 2009 GQ article, "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, which first brought this heartbreaking subject...'...
- 11/27/2015
- Gold Derby
Six years ago, Jeanne Marie Laskas’ GQ exposé Game Brain flew in the face of tradition when it drew a line under the health concerns of playing in the über-popular NFL league. Shedding light on the research of the brilliant, yet rather odd Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian caused all manner of controversy when he connected the rise in Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) cases with the strenuous nature of the sport.
Eager to raise awareness to the public, the forensic neuropathologist faced an uphill battle from the very beginning, with the powerful players of the National Football League – off the pitch, that is – rubbishing his breakthrough research. In what went down as a defining moment in the NFL’s history will soon underpin Sony Pictures’ awards hopeful, Concussion.
Assuming the role of Omalu is Suicide Squad alum Will Smith. Sporting his very best Nigerian accent, today’s new footage offers...
Eager to raise awareness to the public, the forensic neuropathologist faced an uphill battle from the very beginning, with the powerful players of the National Football League – off the pitch, that is – rubbishing his breakthrough research. In what went down as a defining moment in the NFL’s history will soon underpin Sony Pictures’ awards hopeful, Concussion.
Assuming the role of Omalu is Suicide Squad alum Will Smith. Sporting his very best Nigerian accent, today’s new footage offers...
- 11/17/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
“I don’t think it’s going to generate too much controversy. There will be a little difficulty in swallowing it, as it was for me. I’m a football dad, you know,” Will Smith tells NBC regarding his new film Concussion. “You don’t want it to be true. I think that the science is really irrefutable and the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu is such a powerful story. I think that it will be difficult at first for some, but I don’t think that it’s going to be that big of an issue. It’s something that we have to accept.”
The drama, which is based on Jeanne Marie Laskas‘ GQ article, Game Brain, follows Smith as Omalu, whose discoveries in the science behind concussions sent shock waves through the game. Produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Peter Landesman (Parkland), the second trailer has now...
The drama, which is based on Jeanne Marie Laskas‘ GQ article, Game Brain, follows Smith as Omalu, whose discoveries in the science behind concussions sent shock waves through the game. Produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Peter Landesman (Parkland), the second trailer has now...
- 11/5/2015
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
R&B artist and singer songwriter Leon Bridges, who burst onto the nationwide music scene earlier this year with his hit song “Coming Home,” will provide a new song, “So Long,” for the highly anticipated motion picture Concussion starring Will Smith, it was announced by Lia Vollack, president of Worldwide Music for Sony Pictures.
Concussion will be released in theaters December 25, 2015. In September the AFI announced that the World Premiere of Sony Pictures’ film will be the Centerpiece Gala of AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
“So Long” will be available on all digital sales platforms including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon on November 20. The song’s music is by Leon Bridges and Joshua Block, Austin Jenkins, and Chris Vivion of Niles City Sound, with lyrics by Leon Bridges. The track was produced by Niles City Sound.
Bridges has posted a fifteen second preview of the song to his Instagram page,...
Concussion will be released in theaters December 25, 2015. In September the AFI announced that the World Premiere of Sony Pictures’ film will be the Centerpiece Gala of AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
“So Long” will be available on all digital sales platforms including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon on November 20. The song’s music is by Leon Bridges and Joshua Block, Austin Jenkins, and Chris Vivion of Niles City Sound, with lyrics by Leon Bridges. The track was produced by Niles City Sound.
Bridges has posted a fifteen second preview of the song to his Instagram page,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Two-time Academy Award® nominated actor Will Smith will be honored with the “Hollywood Actor Award” for his performance in Concussion, and Academy Award® winning actress Jane Fonda will receive the “Hollywood Supporting Actress Award” for her role Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth. The “19th Annual Hollywood Film Awards” will be hosted by critically and globally acclaimed actor, comedian and late-night talk show host, James Corden. The awards ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, on Sunday, November 1, 2015. The Hollywood Film Awards, the official launch of the awards season®, has recognized excellence in the art of cinema and filmmaking for 18 years, honoring some of the world’s biggest stars. More than one hundred honorees have gone on to garner Oscar® nominations and wins. “Will Smith and Jane Fonda, two of Hollywood’s finest actors, deliver tour de force performances in Concussion and Youth,” said Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions.
- 10/20/2015
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Will Smith's NFL drama Concussion has set a holiday release date.
Sony Pictures will release Concussion in Us cinemas on Christmas Day (December 25).
Smith stars in the Peter Landesman-directed sports drama as a neuropathologist who discovers degenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in the brains of two ex-nfl players who committed suicide.
Concussion examines the ways the NFL allegedly mishandled treatment of ex-players who developed neurological diseases.
Albert Brooks also appears in the movie as noted forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht.
Concussion is based on Jeanne Marie Laskas's groundbreaking GQ article Game Brain.
Luke Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse and Paul Reiser have supporting roles in the upcoming film.
Sony Pictures will release Concussion in Us cinemas on Christmas Day (December 25).
Smith stars in the Peter Landesman-directed sports drama as a neuropathologist who discovers degenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in the brains of two ex-nfl players who committed suicide.
Concussion examines the ways the NFL allegedly mishandled treatment of ex-players who developed neurological diseases.
Albert Brooks also appears in the movie as noted forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht.
Concussion is based on Jeanne Marie Laskas's groundbreaking GQ article Game Brain.
Luke Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse and Paul Reiser have supporting roles in the upcoming film.
- 1/28/2015
- Digital Spy
Sony Pictures announced today that it has scheduled the Will Smith drama Concussion for a Christmas Day release. The film is opening at a prime time, not only because of the holiday movie season but also just as the NFL will be preparing for the playoffs. Concussion follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of football-related brain trauma in a pro player and fought to bring awareness to the public. In his search for the truth, Omalu, a total outsider to pro football, takes on the sports industry’s status quo. His studies on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte), prompted the NFL to take brain-related injuries seriously. Cte was cited in the suicides of former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson. Deadline announced Smith’s attachment to the film back in June.
Written and directed by Peter Landesman (Parkland), Concussion is based on the GQ...
Written and directed by Peter Landesman (Parkland), Concussion is based on the GQ...
- 1/28/2015
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline
Sony’s NFL concussion drama has been titled “Concussion” and has been scheduled for Christmas Day, 2015, the studio announced Tuesday.
Peter Landesman wrote and directed the film which stars Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard and Paul Reiser, with David Morse and Albert Brooks. The factual drama is based in part on the GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas.
Also Read: 13 Super Bowl Xlix Ads: Watch This Year’s Buzziest Commercials (Video)
The story follows the David-vs.-Goliath journey of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of football-related brain...
Peter Landesman wrote and directed the film which stars Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard and Paul Reiser, with David Morse and Albert Brooks. The factual drama is based in part on the GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas.
Also Read: 13 Super Bowl Xlix Ads: Watch This Year’s Buzziest Commercials (Video)
The story follows the David-vs.-Goliath journey of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of football-related brain...
- 1/28/2015
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Bitsie Tulloch, and Albert Brooks all join Will Smith in the yet-to-be titled drama on concussions in the NFL, which is based on the GQ article “Game Brain,” written by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and which follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist, who single-handedly made the first discovery of Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) in a pro football player, raising public awareness for the degenerative disease. The article tells a whistle-blower tale, humanizing the price paid by professional athletes in impact sports, and the political, cultural and corporate interests that...
- 11/5/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
• Demian Bichir is in negotiations to take the lead in the untitled Low Riders film for Universal, Blumhouse Productions, and Imagine Entertainment. Ricardo de Montreuil is attached to direct the film. Cheo Hodari Coker and Elgin James wrote earlier drafts of the script; Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping wrote the current draft. Set in the East Los Angeles world of lowrider cars and street tagging, the story follows a teenager caught in the middle of his traditional father, whom Bichir would play, and his estranged gangbanger brother, both of whom are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.” Imagine Entertainment’s...
- 10/30/2014
- by C. Molly Smith
- EW - Inside Movies
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has joined Will Smith and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the yet-to-be titled drama on concussions in the NFL, which is based on the GQ article “Game Brain,” written by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and which follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist, who single-handedly made the first discovery of Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) in a pro football player, raising public awareness for the degenerative disease. The article tells a whistle-blower tale, humanizing the price paid by professional athletes in impact sports, and the political, cultural and corporate interests that fuel the business of professional sports. Ridley ...
- 10/29/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
We’re really hoping that the new Will Smith drama, inspired by the controversy over concussion brain injuries in America’s National Football League, scores a proper title soon. But while there’s no word on a name yet, it has added another actor, with Pompeii’s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje joining the cast.Parkland director Peter Landesman is directing the film, which adapts Jeanne Marie Laskas’ GQ article Game Brain. The piece followed Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith in the film), a forensic neuropathologist who made the crucial first discovery of concussive head trauma in an NFL player and strove to bring awareness of the condition to the general public. Described as a sports take on The Insider – putting a human face on a story about a thorny issue and the commercial interests involved in making sure the news doesn’t spread too far – it also boasts the likes of Gugu Mbatha-Raw,...
- 10/28/2014
- EmpireOnline
• Game of Thrones' James Cosmo has signed on for Tomorrow. Martin Scorsese is executive producing the military drama. Cosmo joins previously announced cast members Stephen Fry, Stephanie Leonidas, Sebastian Street, Stuart Brennan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Paul Kaye, and Joss Stone. Martha Pinson, Scorsese's long-time script supervisor, will make her feature directorial debut with the film, which follows the lives of soldiers trying to re-immerse themselves into society. Street and Brennan wrote the script. They are producing alongside Dean M. Woodford. Emma Tillinger Koskoff is executive producing with Scorsese. [Variety] • Patrick Fischler, David Krumholtz, Fisher Stevens, and Clancy Brown have been cast in Hail,...
- 10/18/2014
- by C. Molly Smith
- EW - Inside Movies
Exclusive: Grimm star Bitsie Tulloch is the latest to board Sony’s untitled NFL concussion film, starring Will Smith as a neuropathologist investigating the long-term effects of head trauma suffered by pro-footballers. Tulloch, a series regular on NBC’s supernatural drama Grimm, will play Keana Strzelczyk, the wife of a former NFL player. Peter Landesman wrote and is directing the NFL pic based on Jeanne Marie Laskas’s GQ article “Game Brain” which exposed the discovery of Cte, the concussion syndrome that contributed to the suicides of former NFL superstars like Dave Duerson and Junior Seau.
Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman, and Elizabeth Cantillon are producing the film which starts production in a few weeks. Michael Schaefer and David Crockett are executive producers. Tulloch most recently appeared on the big screen in Landesman’s directorial debut Parkland opposite Paul Giamatti. Her feature credits include a starring role in indie Caroline & Jackie,...
Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman, and Elizabeth Cantillon are producing the film which starts production in a few weeks. Michael Schaefer and David Crockett are executive producers. Tulloch most recently appeared on the big screen in Landesman’s directorial debut Parkland opposite Paul Giamatti. Her feature credits include a starring role in indie Caroline & Jackie,...
- 10/16/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Luke Wilson has been attached to act alongside Will Smith in an untitled NFL football concussion drama.
Wilson is in talks to play NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the movie, which also stars Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha Raw and Paul Reiser, reports The Wrap.
David Morse and Arliss Howard are also said to be nearing deals to join the Ridley Scott-produded movie which will see Peter Landesman in the directors chair.
Based on Jeanne Marie Laskas' GQ article 'Game Brain', the drama tells the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), a forensic neuropathologist who was the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in NFL football players.
Wilson can be seen in Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig's drama The Skeleton Twins. The actor was previously in HBO series Enlightened, which was cancelled in 2013 after two seasons.
Smith will soon be seen in Focus,...
Wilson is in talks to play NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the movie, which also stars Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha Raw and Paul Reiser, reports The Wrap.
David Morse and Arliss Howard are also said to be nearing deals to join the Ridley Scott-produded movie which will see Peter Landesman in the directors chair.
Based on Jeanne Marie Laskas' GQ article 'Game Brain', the drama tells the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), a forensic neuropathologist who was the first to discover chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in NFL football players.
Wilson can be seen in Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig's drama The Skeleton Twins. The actor was previously in HBO series Enlightened, which was cancelled in 2013 after two seasons.
Smith will soon be seen in Focus,...
- 10/12/2014
- Digital Spy
• Channing Tatum will star in the inspirational true story Struck by Genius for Sony. Based on the memoir of the same name released in April, it follows the real life story of Jason Padgett, who became a math genius after a traumatic brain injury outside a karaoke bar. Tatum will play Padgett and the film is expected to follow him dealing with such issues as Ptsd and the chronic pain that followed before finding some salvation in art. [THR]
• Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) is in talks to join the Ben-Hur remake starring Jack Huston. Kebbell would play the villainous Messala,...
• Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) is in talks to join the Ben-Hur remake starring Jack Huston. Kebbell would play the villainous Messala,...
- 9/18/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW - Inside Movies
Paul Reiser has signed on for a role in Scott Free and Sony's untitled football concussion movie. Will Smith is starring in the drama based on the GQ article "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Described as a whistleblower tale, it follows neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), who discovered that major head injuries and life-long debilitating problems were facing NFL players because of repeated concussions. Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks and Beyond the Lights actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw have also recently signed on to the project. Reiser will play Dr. Elliot Pellman, the chair of the NFL medical committee, who
read more...
read more...
- 9/18/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, 31, has landed a co-starring role in a yet-to-be-titled drama about a degenerative disease that shook the NFL, according to Indiewire’s Shadow and Act. The film is based on Jeanne Marie Laskas‘ October 2009 GQ article “Game Brain,” which follows Dr. Bennet Omalu (set to be played by Will Smith), the forensic neuropathologist who, in spite of opposition from an $8 billion industry, discovered and raised awareness about Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a brain disease found in atheletes with a history of repetitive brain trauma. Ridley Scott‘s production company Scott Free and Sony Pictures are teaming up on [...]
The post Gugu Mbatha-Raw to Star Opposite Will Smith in Untitled NFL Drama appeared first on Up and Comers.
The post Gugu Mbatha-Raw to Star Opposite Will Smith in Untitled NFL Drama appeared first on Up and Comers.
- 9/11/2014
- by Alfonso Espina
- UpandComers
Fresh from the Tiff world premiere of her latest work, "Beyond the Lights," Gugu Mbatha-Raw has booked a co-starring role, opposite Will Smith, in a yet-to-be titled drama on concussions in the NFL, which is based on the GQ article “Game Brain,” written by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and which follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist, who single-handedly made the first discovery of Cte (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) in a pro football player, raising public awareness for the degenerative disease. The article tells a whistle-blower tale, humanizing the price paid by professional athletes in impact sports, and the political, cultural and...
- 9/10/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
• After taking a break from the franchise, Orlando Bloom has revealed that he has been in discussions to return as blacksmith-turned-pirate Will Turner in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Johnny Depp has already signed on to reprise his Oscar-nominated performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth film of the Disney series, which seems to be what has sealed the deal for Bloom. Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are taking the commands of the ship from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). The film is scheduled for a July 2017 release date.
- 9/10/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW - Inside Movies
With Will Smith aboard to anchor the film and Alec Baldwin also part of the cast, director Peter Landesman has been busy scouting for other actors to appear in his new, untitled drama about the controversial work on head injuries in America’s National Football League. He has now recruited Albert Brooks and has Gugu Mbatha-Raw in talks.The film, which also boasts Ridley Scott as a producer, is adapted from Jeanne Marie Laskas’ GQ article Game Brain. The piece followed Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic neuropathologist who made the crucial first discovery of concussive head trauma in an NFL player and strove to bring awareness of the problem to the general public.Smith is on as Omalu, while Brooks will be Cyril Wecht, the chief forensic pathologist who mentors him and encourages him to spread the word about the head injuries and their effects on players. Omalu’s actions...
- 9/9/2014
- EmpireOnline
Fresh off strong reviews from her role in Beyond the Lights at the Toronto Film Festival, Gugu Mbatha-Raw has closed a deal to star opposite Will Smith in the NFL concussion drama. The untitled Sony project is based on the GQ article "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Described as a whistleblower tale, it follows the doctor (Smith) who discovered that major head injuries and life-long debilitating problems were facing NFL players because of repeated concussions. Peter Landesman wrote the script and will direct. Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio and Michael Schaefer are producing for Scott Free, while David
read more...
read more...
- 9/9/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Looks like Alec Baldwin will be drawing on whatever CIA knowledge he picked up playing Jack Ryan in The Hunt For Red October back in 1990, as he’s now being recruited to play the head of the agency in Mission: Impossible 5.Christopher McQuarrie wants Baldwin for the role, although he hasn’t yet chosen to accept the assignment. Assuming he signs on the dotted line, he’ll join Tom Cruise and a cast that likely includes Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and franchise good-luck charm Ving Rhames for the fifth outing of the venerable action series. This time it promises to do explosive things to London, among other locales. He's not the only person that Cruise and McQuarrie are targeting: Rebecca Ferguson, who you might have seen on TV's The White Queen, is set to play a femme fatale. Baldwin's also in talks for Will Smith’s latest, the still-untitled...
- 7/9/2014
- EmpireOnline
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.