Nordling here.
For Christmas, when I was five, I wanted an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle in the worst way, and I remember that morning going completely mental when I got it. Knievel is very much a part of my childhood, and even later on as much was revealed about his life, I still remained a fan of his work (if not of his life). A Knievel biopic has been in the works for quite a while, and now, Exclusive Media Group is negotiating with director Nic Roman Waugh (the upcoming Dwayne Johnson film SNITCH) to make a film based on the biography THE HIGH FLYING LIFE OF EVEL KNIEVEL: AMERICAN SHOWMAN, DAREDEVIL, AND LEGEND, according to Hollywood Reporter.
The biography, written by Leigh Montville, came out in April, and was soon bought by Exclusive. The book goes through Knievel's life - his stunts, his upbringing, and the later years where Knievel ran afoul of the law as well as his family. Nigel Sinclair and Guy East will be producing, and Waugh's on the lookout for actors to play the role. "Men's men" is the term he uses to describe the actors he's looking for, and names like Chris Hemsworth or Tom Hardy are being thrown around. Waugh plans on using real stuntwork for the film's various setpieces, with CGI only used for location recreation.
For those too young to know, Knievel was iconic and a huge star here in America, as well as overseas. He was a real life Captain America. But too many injuries saddled the man, and then later in life, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was never able to heal fully from his injuries. It was a sad ending for a very famous figure of the 1970s. Waugh, who was also a stuntman, seems well suited for the project with his experience, at least in the authenticity of the stunts. Says Waugh, "What nobody has ever really captured, and maybe it takes an ex-stuntman to understand this, is the sacrifices he made, and the pain. Everybody’s fearless until they get seriously hurt.”
I'd love to see a Knievel film done right. I hope Waugh's film ends up doing just that.
Nordling, out.
