Glen Powell to play Lou Gehrig in new Linklater film
Glen Powell will play New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig in an untitled Richard Linklater film at Universal Pictures, reuniting the Hit Man and Everybody Wants Some! pair, with Simon Rich writing the screenplay and Lorne Michaels producing through Broadway Video. The casting is a standout moment in celebrity breaking news, pairing a rising box-office star with a director who already trusts him on baseball and comedy projects.
Key Takeaways
- Glen Powell will star as Lou Gehrig in an untitled Universal Pictures film directed by Richard Linklater.
- Simon Rich is writing the screenplay; Lorne Michaels and Erin David produce via Broadway Video.
- Powell will also produce with Dan Cohen under Barnstorm’s first-look deal with Universal.
- No production start date has been set, and Powell plans a break after a busy stretch of work.
- Sources say Babe Dahlgren, who replaced Gehrig at first base, is expected to be a key supporting role.
Who is making the Lou Gehrig movie with Glen Powell?
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, Linklater is attached to direct the untitled Gehrig biopic at Universal. Simon Rich — a former Saturday Night Live writer whose recent credits include Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial — is penning the script.
Lifelong Yankees fan Lorne Michaels will produce alongside Erin David under Broadway Video’s first-look deal with Universal. Powell produces with Dan Cohen through Barnstorm’s first-look deal. Linklater is in talks to produce via Detour Filmproduction, while Universal senior EVP Erik Baiers will oversee the project.
Why does casting Glen Powell as Lou Gehrig matter?
Powell and Linklater previously teamed on the 2016 college baseball comedy Everybody Wants Some! and the Netflix hit Hit Man. Returning to baseball lore with Gehrig — nicknamed “The Iron Horse” for a then-record 2,130 consecutive games — puts their collaboration on one of sports’ most revered figures.
Gehrig spent his entire 17-year career with the New York Yankees, won six World Series titles, and took the 1934 Triple Crown. His career ended in 1939 after an ALS diagnosis; he died in 1941 at age 37. Hollywood’s best-known take remains the 1942 classic The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper.
When will filming start, and what else is known?
There is no production start date yet. Powell plans to pause after working nearly nonstop, including wrapping the second season of Hulu’s Chad Powers. Plot details remain under wraps, though sources say Babe Dahlgren — the teammate who replaced Gehrig at first base — is expected to have an important role.
Powell is also lined up for Universal’s The Comeback King and J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond, both due in 2027. For fans tracking every Glen Powell move, this Gehrig project signals another prestige sports drama from a star already deep in the athletic lane.