A football player that achieved rock star status? No wonder Hollywood is anxious to get the story.
Universal Pictures has picked up Jake Gyllenhaal to play Joe Namath in a feature film about the Hall of Fame quarterback.
Jake Gyllenhaal for Joe Namath Biopic
Universal Pictures has already found their writer, David Hallander, but he is going to have to wait until the writers strike is over before starting on the script.
While other quarterbacks racked up bigger lifetime stats, Namath became the first football player to achieve rock-star status. The film will tell the story of how the golden-armed kid from Beaver Falls, Pa., became Broadway Joe, the New York Jets quarterback who became a '60s cultural figure.
Namath was one of the first pro players highly sought after for commercials. A rock god, but without the rock so to speak.
Following through on his promise to beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, Namath also paved the way towards the integration between the AFL and the NFL.
Jake Gyllenhaal is currently shooting Brothers with Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman.
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