He might be better known as an actor in the likes of She’s Out of My League, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and as the voice of Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon, but Jay Baruchel is also developing a healthy sideline as a writer, having penned hockey comedy Goon and now getting set to script baseball pic Baseballisimo.
The movie’s based on Canadian musician/writer David Bidini’s non-fiction book, which saw him and his family venturing to the town of Nettuno, known as the baseball capital of Italy. Turns out the game was introduced to the place in 1944 by American GIs and it has since become an obsession.
Baruchel’s going to be working on the screenplay with regular writing partner Jesse Chabot, and the pair were even taken off to Nettuno this summer by producer David Miller. “Bidini felt it was really important for Jay and Jesse to experience the town and meet the manager of the local baseball team," Miller tells Variety.
There’s no director attached yet, so this one might have to wait for its turn at bat.
Goon, which stars Baruchel, Liev Schreiber and Seann William Scott, is drawing positive reviews at the Toronto Film Festival. And according to co-writer Seth Rogen, Baruchel will also finally get to star in Jay and Seth vs The Apocalypse, which Rogen plans to start directing next February. He’ll next crop up in thriller Good Neighbours and David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis.