Looks like the long-gestating biopic of ace cyclist Lance Armstrong might be about to move up through the gears, after Gary Ross came on board to write the screenplay.
Ross, of course, is no stranger to inspiring sports-related stories – he wrote and directed the horsey drama, Seabiscuit. And now, for his next trick, he’s got to write the extraordinary tale of Armstrong, who stunned and inspired millions around the world when he cameoed in Dodgeball back in 2004.
At least, we think that’s why he’s famous. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the seven successive Tour De France wins, achieved despite being stricken by, in his own words, brain, lung and testicular cancer, all at the same time. Could it…?
Of course it bloody well could. Armstrong’s story is astonishing, uplifting, add your own adjective here. It seems a natural fit for a movie, something producer Frank Marshall – who may also direct – has been trying to do for ages.
During that time, the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal – who looks nothing like Armstrong – and Matt Damon (ditto) have been linked with the project, which is stationed over at Columbia. Nobody has signed on yet, though, but Ross’ arrival moves the biopic closer to the starting line.
The as-yet untitled movie will be largely based on Armstrong’s first memoir, It’s Not About The Bike, which details his life up until his first Tour De France win, including his first marriage and his cancer diagnosis. But we suspect that the movie will cover events that took place after that.
Armstrong, of course, recently returned to cycling after retirement, and is set to try to win his eighth Tour De France next month.