ST. LOUIS — If you would have told me the guy from "Chuck" would one day play Kurt Warner in a movie, I would have taken away your cough medicine and 7-11 credit card.
But that's a reality today as former NBC television star turned DC Comic Hero, Zachary Levi, signed up to play Warner in an upcoming film called "American Underdog." Lionsgate will distribute the film, set to begin production (from the Erwin studio banner, Kingdom) later this year, next year. The directing-producing team of Jon and Andrew Erwin, who made the faith-based film "I Can Only Imagine" for Lionsgate, are at the helm here. A "Friday Night Lights" writer, David Aaron Cohen, along with Jon Gunn and Jon Erwin, produced the screenplay.
This is big news, as the Warner story smelled like cinematic gold the moment the St. Louis Rams won that Super Bowl 20 years ago. It was only a matter of time and the right people coming into the picture.
The right people starts with the right choice for Warner. While I picked other actors to tackle the role back in February when news about the film was heating up, Levi is an intriguing choice. Here are five things to know about the casting news.
Levi is the proper height
The actor is 6 foot 4 inches tall, which is two inches taller than Warner's height, but when it comes down to it, taller is better than shorter. Objections occur when the actor is unusually shorter than the person they're portraying. Levi has the proper height to play an NFL quarterback like Warner.
He was the directors' first choice for the role
According to Collider, Levi was the strong choice from the jump. “Zachary was our first and only choice,” said Jon Erwin. “He brings a combination of humble charm and charisma as well as an intense physicality to the role." When the directors get their guy, the end result is always a better movie. This is good news.
Levi's backstory has some underdog in it
Before he scored the role of DC's "Shazam!," Levi lost out on the role of Starlord to Chris Pratt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He had made it into the final moments of the auditioning process when Pratt won out. That drove him into a depression and self-doubt, according to Levi's interview in The Men's Journal. Levi would score a smaller role as Thor's comrade in the MCU, but a chunk far less than Starlord. Before he made it with the Rams, Warner played briefly behind Brett Favre. A little underdog never hurts in this story.
The film could be a faith-based production
Due to the Erwin's past in film production and their partnership with Lionsgate here, in addition to one of the screenwriter's having already written a faith-based film, this one could end up going down that route. This isn't a detraction by any means, but more like a what to expect when tickets are bought. If you are completely expecting "Remember The Titans" or "Rudy," you may be surprised. The Warners family have always been very religious in their adventures and way of life, so there's a solid bet this one could a true faith-based production.
Here's the good thing. Levi's humor and levity (no pun intended) in a film or TV show will help balance it all out for the people who aren't faith-based.
Levi has the look and charisma to pull it off
If you base the casting off looks, Levi has it down pat. He bulked up for the superhero role last year and has the build and facial hair to embody Warner on the screen. He looks the part immediately. The actor's charisma will pay off here, because Warner always had a way of connecting with people. Levi has shown that in all his movies. He's an inspired choice with a touch of bold. I mean, you have an actor from Ventura, California playing an Iowa native, so there is some unconventionality to this move, but I like the energy.
Truly great Cinderella stories like Warner's sudden rise in 1999 are harder to come by than you think. All the juicy aspects and details make it so memorable. Remaking that on screen is no easy task, so the Erwins have their work cut out for them.
But they have a good lead in Levi and the go-ahead from Warner, along with a solid distributor like Lionsgate.
There may not be NFL football this year, but fans of the sport will finally get the cinematic retelling that so many have been craving.
"American Underdog" is a hit already.
