After many months of legal work, in May 2018, Sony Pictures has finally acquired the U.S. distribution rights to begin producing their upcoming project, which is based on the rise and fall of American Senator Gary Hart during the late 1900s. The movie, titled The Frontrunner, is also confirmed to star Hugh Jackman as the lead character, playing the senator himself.
The Frontrunner is a biographical dark comedy film based on the book All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid, written by Matt Bai. This 2014 book covers the many perspectives of the rise of Senator Gary Hart, his presidential run for 1988, and his unfortunate downfall following the discovery of his scandalous extramarital love affair with a woman named Donna Rice.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, and Kaitlyn Dever, The Frontrunner is directed by Jason Reitman. The screenwriters for this movie include Reitman, Matt Bai, and the former Press Secretary of America during Hillary Clinton’s rule, Jay Carson himself. The movie is expected to be filmed at a very fast pace and released sometime during the fall so that it coincides with both the US Elections and the award season.
In a statement, Jason Reitman has praised Hugh Jackman’s transformation into the character of Gary Hart and stated that he was extremely eager to show his development to the audience. Reitman has also titled Jackman’s portrayal of the character as extremely ‘humanistic’.