Kevin Costner in Talks to Star in Disney's Sports Drama 'McFarland'

1:16 PM PDT 7/20/2012 by Borys Kit

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Kevin Costner

Niki Caro is directing the true-life story, which follows a 1980s track-and-field coach living in the titular California town.

Kevin Costner is in talks to star in McFarland, a sports drama that Niki Caro is directing for Disney.

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Mayhem Pictures' Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, who produced such inspirational true-life sports dramas as Miracle, Invincible and Secretariat, are producing McFarland.

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Another true-life tale, McFarland is the 1980s story of a coach living in McFarland, Calif., a predominantly Latino small town outside Bakersfield. The coach created a high school track team that overcame many social and physical hurdles to become champions.

Disney is making the movie for $17 million and using Costner to anchor the cast.

Sports drama is a current that runs through Costner’s body of work, and McFarland will join Field of Dreams, Tin Cup and For the Love of the Game as examples of that work.

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Costner is repped by WME, One Talent Management and Jeffer Mangels.