In what would have to be a director’s casting match made in heaven, all American actor Matt Damon is set to play all American politician Robert F. Kennedy in an upcoming biopic directed by Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit). From a screenplay by Steven Knight, who has adapted the Kennedy biography ‘My Life’ by Evan Thomas, RFK begins during the aftermath of JFK’s assassination and follows Bobby as he steps out from his brother’s shadow and becomes a political leader in his own right.
This is not the first time the younger Kennedy has been the subject of a biopic. In 2006, Emilio Estevez’s ensemble piece Bobby depicted the events of June 5th 1968; the night the presidential candidate received the gunshot wound that would eventually kill him. However, I believe that this second biopic is going to be light years ahead of that film (which was a critical and commercial failure), and this is primarily because of the inspired piece of casting that Damon is. Yes there is the obvious and uncanny resemblance that Damon bears with the assassinated senator, but he also has the acting ability to pull off such a role (another Oscar nomination will probably be heading his way) and thanks to his role in The Bourne Trilogy, has enough star power to ensure that it performs well at the box office upon its release. No other casting has been announced.
[Source: News In Film, IMDB]
