Hollywood stalwarts Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen are getting back to the silver screen for the upcoming sports biopic 12 Mighty Orphans, which will star Luke Wilson as the iconic Texas football coach Rusty Russell, according to Deadline.
Ty Roberts is slated to direct the film based on a script compiled by Lane Garrison and dissected from the critically-acclaimed novel by Jim Dent. 12 Mighty Orphans centers upon an orphanage overlooking Fort Worth where Coach Russell takes a squad of 12 fiery castoff children and transmogrifies them into contenders overnight. The young ones become a force to be reckoned with in their Texas football league, starting with bare basics and later adapting to Russell’s complex offensive schemes.
Vinessa Shaw will portray Rusty’s wife Juanita Russell while Wayne Knight has been cast as orphanage head Frank Wynn, who buries some of the darkest secrets within his establishment in Fort Worth. Sheen is reported to play the role of physician Doc Hall, who acted as a caretaker for the orphans for nearly three decades without accepting a single paycheck and was responsible for the recruiting Russell to become his assistant coach. Duvall is expected to play Mason Hawk, who serves as a mentor to the young team.
Production is projected to conclude in Fort Worth come Thanksgiving. Greenbelt Films did not provide a release date.
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