While a biopic of Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong has long been talked about, it appears things are now moving forward, with producer Frank Marshall announcing that writer Gary Rosss (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) has been commissioned to write a screenplay based on Armstrong’s life.
Adapted from the book ‘It’s Not About The Bike’, which Armstrong wrote (with Sally Jenkins) in 2000, the film is due to cover Lance’s upbringing and marriage to his first wife, Kristin, as well as the birth of their child, through his diagnosis with testicular cancer and his fight back to health, which culminated with him winning the Tour De France in 1999.
So basically, there’s not going to be any Sheryl Crow in it, and thank God for that.
Apparently the producers were inspired to get the project back on track after seeing Armstrong recently coming out of retirement to try and nab an eighth Tour De France title.
The current rumour for who might be cast as Armstrong is Matt Damon, but that’s probably more to do with the fact he seems like a good fit rather than Damon being actively involved in the project. And what about Matthew McConaughey? Him and Armstrong hang out all the time, so it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. And anything that means McConaughey isn’t making another godawful romantic comedy has to be a good thing.