Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will partner in releasing the upcoming Boston Marathon bombing docudrama Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Demolition) and Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black). The film relays the harrowing scene at the 2013 Boston Marathon as shown the eyes of victims Jeff Bauman and his then-wife Erin Hurley. David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) directs the film from screenplay penned by John Pollono, based on the book of the same name by Bauman and Bret Witter. Deadline was the first to report the collaboration between Lionsgate and Roadside.
Stronger follows Peter Berg’s similarly-themed film Patriots Day, released late last year in an awards-qualifying run (also by Lionsgate) which starred Mark Wahlberg. Yet, while Patriots Day took a procedural, crime thriller approach in relaying the Boston tragedy, Stronger looks to be grounded in a more humanistic setting in centering the perspective from the point of view of Bauman. A working class Bostonian, Bauman (Gyllenhaal) looked to cheer on his girlfriend Hurley (Maslany) as she was crossing the finish line. After the attack took place, Bauman – despite trauma and blood loss – was able to help identify the assailants as one of them had bumped into him shortly before leaving behind an explosive backpack.
Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) and Miranda Richardson (Spider) co-star.
A release date was also set for Stronger. The film will open – first in limited release – on September 22nd. That date joins the recently announced Battle of the Sexes starring Steve Carell and recent Oscar winner Emma Stone as well as the Stephen Frears-directed Victoria and Abdul starring Oscar winner Judi Dench on the specialty scene. All of which may be primed for potential awards runs.
Gyllenhaal can currently be seen on screen in the science fiction thriller Life.
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