Paul Reiser has signed on for a role in Scott Free and Sony’s untitled football concussion movie.
Will Smith is starring in the drama based on the GQ article “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Described as a whistleblower tale, it follows neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), who discovered that major head injuries and life-long debilitating problems were facing NFL players because of repeated concussions. Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks and Beyond the Lights actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw have also recently signed on to the project.
Reiser will play Dr. Elliot Pellman, the chair of the NFL medical committee, who attempts to stop Omalu (Smith) from releasing his study to the public and league.
Peter Landesman (Parkland) is writing and directing, and Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman and Elizabeth Cantillon are producing. Michael Schaefer and David Crockett are executive producers. Hannah Minghella is overseeing for the studio.
Reiser has been busy this year, appearing in two films that made a splash at Sundance: the Miles Teller-starring Whiplash, which also screened in Cannes and Toronto to strong praise; and A24’s Life After Beth, starring Aubrey Plaza. He’s also wrapped work on Blumhouse’s 6 Miranda Drive with Kevin Bacon.
Also, Reiser is currently starring in David Gordon Green and Steven Soderbergh‘s new comedy pilot Red Oaks on Amazon, and has a recurring role on FX’s new series Married. He and Stephen McPherson also recently sold an untitled half-hour comedy pilot to Amazon. He’s repped by Gersh, New Wave and attorney Jeff Finkelstein.
Email: Rebecca.Ford@THR.com
Twitter: @Beccamford
