News – Josh Hamilton Biopic to be Made by Casey Affleck

By: Mike Holtz, WeWatchedAMovie

Source: Deadline.com

For anyone who doesn’t know, Josh Hamilton is the left fielder for the Texas Rangers.  He’s also had endless, well-documented struggles with drugs and alcohol.  After being selected as the #1 overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, he has gone from highly touted prospect with a bright future to being kicked out of the league for multiple failed drug tests to coming back clean and sober after a two year hiatus from baseball to winning the American League MVP award.

Even just this year, thirteen years after he was drafted, there was a press conference called for Josh to apologize for falling off the wagon in a moment of weakness and having a few drinks at a bar before having a teammate come and talk to him. His struggles are so well-documented that even his current team, The Texas Rangers, celebrate their post-season victories with ginger ale instead of the usual champagne, ever mindful of their teammate’s hardships.

Sounds like an inspiring story of struggle and redemption doesn’t it? Casey Affleck thinks so. After Thunder Road Pictures acquired the rights to Hamilton’s life story (confirmed by Hamilton himself), Affleck is signed on to write the script and direct the film should it make it all the way to production. Casey Affleck directed the faux-documentary I’m Still Here — about Joaquin Phoenix losing his mind after filming Walk the Line, growing a really large beard, and wanting to quit movies and begin his career in rap music.

There is no doubt this story has more than enough controversy and redemption to make it a truly inspirational film. Let’s hope it stays that way without anything de-railing it. Josh Hamilton still plays today with the Texas Rangers and is in the last year of his contract.  Who do you think should play him in the film?