De Niro As Vince Lombardi

[WyldeMan45]

As a lifelong Green Bay fan, I am excited as all hell for this!!

In a role that might finally give Robert De Niro a chance to summon his inner Raging Bull, the actor has signed on to play Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi will be written by Eric Roth, who wrote the De Niro-directed The Good Shepherd.

Lombardi was a fiery disciplinarian who led a journeyman's career that seemed to peak when he was offensive line coach of the New York Giants team that lost the 1958 championship game. The drama is structured as a rivalry between Lombardi and his polar opposite, Tom Landry, the defensive coach for that Giants team. While Landry was a cool customer whom other teams courted heavily before he became Dallas Cowboys head coach, Lombardi practically had to beg to run a Packers team so dismal that other team owners wanted to fold the franchise. Lombardi turned the team into perennial winners, and all that stood between him and a record third championship was Landry's Cowboys. They faced off in the 1967 league championship game, known as the Ice Bowl because it was played 13 below zero temperatures. The film is partly based on Instant Replay, the memoir that Packers lineman Jerry Kramer wrote with Dick Schaap.

De Niro and his Tribeca Productions partner Jane Rosenthal will produce alongside ESPN Films, the National Football League and Andell Entertainment.

Lombardi broadens a relationship between ESPN and the National Football League that already includes Monday Night Football. They formed an alliance to make football films they can sell directly to their target audience. Lombardi still needs a director and distributor--I hear the script needs work--but ESPN and the NFL already have a plan to release on the down weekend in January 2012 that falls between the AFC and NFC championships and the Super Bowl. The NFL makes licensing deals on films like The Blind Side and Invincible, but Lombardi is its first production.

It's De Niro's second intriguing deal in the past few days, after Tribeca came on to produce a Midnight Run sequel that will allow De Niro to reprise as Jack Crawford, the ex-cop-turned L.A. bounty hunter.

[Gremal]

Has all the earmarks of a great film...hope so!

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Has all the earmarks of a great film...hope so!

I sure hope so, it's been way too long since De Niro made a truly great film.

[Galactus]

Green Bay + De Niro = Great

Thanks for posting fellow cheese head

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Blu Blood

Green Bay + De Niro = Great

Thanks for posting fellow cheese head

It's what I live to do, bring good news to my fellow Green Bay nation

[sergio_medina66]

"What the hell's going on out here" should be a good quote for Di Niro to say. So will this be a feature film or one on ESPN?

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

It's what I live to do, bring good news to my fellow Green Bay nation

Thank you! This is amazing news (especially to a fellow cheese head)

Cheers!

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by sergio_medina66

"What the hell's going on out here" should be a good quote for Di Niro to say. So will this be a feature film or one on ESPN?

I'm not sure either it says ESPN films, which too the best of my knowledge has only ever been made for tv movies like "3" but I can't really see De Niro doing a tv movie, though not like his career could presently suck more than it currently does, so if it takes a TV movie to get him in the role of a legend, than I say do it!

[ChadFL]

I actually do think he'll make a great Lombardi.

[WyldeMan45]

ESPN has been showing signs that they’re itching to get into the movie business; the channel sought such Hollywood players as Peter Berg, Barry Levinson, and John Singleton for entries in their spectacular 30 for 30 documentary series, and their work will soon be seen on the big screen in Mulkey, the biopic of a high school basketball coach and firefighter who perished in a fire. But nothing makes quite the statement as signing Robert De Niro to star in the cinematic depiction of an sports idol. Risky Business reports that Robert De Niro is attached to star as legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi in the latest effort from ESPN Films. More after the break:

Although his stature in show business is not at the heights it once was, De Niro is still quite a get for this inspirational sports picture with quite the box office potential. The film will reportedly center on the years in which Lombardi formed the Packers into a championship team, and the production is eying a timely release date just before the 2012 Super Bowl. Undoubtedly, executive fingers are crossed that the Packers will be the NFC contenders come 2012.

With regard to De Niro’s aptitude for the role, NFL vice president of programming Charles Choplin gushed, “There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of Lombardi, and we’re thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team. With the addition of De Niro, Eric and Tribeca Prods., we have a deep bench to produce a film worthy of the legendary coach and American icon.”

One doesn’t need to dig too deeply to see a resemblance between the two strong-jawed Italians. Stick a fedora and thick-rimmed glasses on Mr. De Niro, and I’m sold. The character of Lombardi should provide a charismatic role for De Niro to sink his teeth into, or at least the version of him that was quoted throughout my elementary sports career (”Remember Brendan, ‘Winners never quit, quitters never win.’” -Dad).

It’ll be interesting to see where this falls onto De Niro’s list of priorities. He’s also attached to star alongside Bradley Cooper in The Dark Fields, alongside Hugh Jackman in Lee Daniels’ Selma, and alongside someone who isn’t Charles Grodin in a Midnight Run sequel.

[recS-12]

Wow, this has so much potential and I'm not even a football fan. Reminds me, any u guys who haven't seen "The Express" are missing out. A VERY good film.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by recS-12

Wow, this has so much potential and I'm not even a football fan. Reminds me, any u guys who haven't seen "The Express" are missing out. A VERY good film.

The Express was a good movie. But for me, the idea that someone of De Niro's caliber is going to star as IMO, the greatest football coach of all-time, and not to mention it's also my favorite football team, who I've never missed a game of, since I was 7. This is a movie dream come true for me.