He’s heating up UK cinemas today with the release of Magic Mike, but Channing Tatum is busy looking to the future, as THR reports that he’s in talks to play Evel Knievel in a new biopic. Tatum will also produce the films with his Iron Horse Entertainment partner Reid Carolin, who will write the screenplay.
Born Robert Craig Knievel, the stuntman became a household name in the 1970s for his nationally televised motorcycle jumps. Ever the showman, Knievel became recognizable for his use of a Stars-and-Stripes getup and the fact he broke 433 bones. He died in 2007 at the age of 69.
Tatum isn’t the first actor to assume the famed thrill-seeker. George Hamilton starred in the 1971 film titled Evel Knievel, while Knievel himself toplined the 1977 film Viva Knievel! The new movie will be based on Stuart Barker’s 2008 book, Life of Evel.