Dennis Quaid is set to star in the family drama The Hill. Deadline confirmed the news.
The Hill is a remarkable film from talented writers Angelo Pizzo and the late Scott Marshall Smith, who passed in December. Pizzo is well known for his gut-wrencher sports movies like Rudy and Hoosiers.
Smith is best known for writing The Score, which starred Robert De Niro and Angela Bassett, and Men of Honor, which starred Robert De Niro, Charlize Theron, and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Jeff Celentano, the director behind the crime drama Breaking Point that starred Tom Berenger and rapper Busta Rhymes, will be directing The Hill.
The Hill tells the true story of Rickey Hill, a young man who overcame his physical disability to play professional baseball. Rickey’s story is about more than simply athletics, given the intricacies of his relationship with his father. It’s about family and what one young man will do to make his dream come true.
According to Deadline, Quaid has been given the role of Pastor Hill, Rickey’s father. He is an instinctively protective man who does not want his son to go out into the world to follow his ambition for fear of his son being mocked for his disability. Hill’s harsh demeanor eventually crumbles as Rickey matures and demonstrates his inherent talent.
No other actors have been cast.
“I’m setting out to make an iconic film in the classic sense, a beautiful sweeping and powerful inspirational story. One that will stand the test of time like Blindside, Rudy, Field of Dreams, and The Natural. Dennis was the first and only person I thought of for the lead role upon reading the script,” said Celentano to Deadline. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he has the ability to play a loving, caring father while at the same time a staunch, powerful man – all the qualities needed to bring Pastor Hill’s character to life.”
Quaid is currently leading his voice to animated film Saurus City.
Filming is expected to begin for The Hill in Georgia this November.
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