For many of President Ronald Reagan’s biggest fans, it’s likely no surprise that the upcoming “Reagan” biopic — the first-ever feature length film about the beloved Republican president — has been stuck in development for well over a decade.
You don’t see too many films that paint conservative politicians in a positive light, let alone a film about the man many consider to be the marquee conservative politician of the past century.
Nevertheless, later this year, Hollywood’s “Reagan” biopic, which reportedly does respect the former president’s conservative legacy, is finally set to release in 2024, 14 years after the film was first announced.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming film:
Plot Is Based on Conservative Author’s Book
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According to a March 26 Deadline report, the film’s plot will span over many decades, cataloging Reagan’s journey from childhood to the White House.
The film will reportedly open with a young Russian leader asking a 90-year-old former Russian spy “how the Soviet Union was lost.”
That spy, a Russian man named Patrovich, will then serve as the story’s narrator, walking through everything he knows about the life of his greatest adversary, Ronald Reagan.
The screenplay will be based on “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” a book written by conservative author Paul Kengor, Entertainment Weekly reported.
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Historical accuracy appears to be a sticking point for the filmmakers behind the movie: producer Mark Joseph reportedly spoke to “more than 40 people who knew the 40th president personally to get stories” for the film.
In order to tell the story across multiple decades, the filmmakers behind “Reagan” recruited top notch makeup and VFX artists behind Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Entertainment Weekly reported.
Here’s How ILM De-Aged ‘The Irishman’ Casthttps://t.co/wRwmDMe1Uz pic.twitter.com/YNXVQSwPWw
— No Film School (@nofilmschool) December 4, 2019
The Netflix film famously used cutting-edge techniques to de-age actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the movie.
Cast and Crew
Back in 2018, Dennis Quaid was announced as the actor chosen to play the president.
“Reagan was my first favorite president back in the day. I even voted for him twice,” Quaid told The Oklahoman in 2021.”Ronald Reagan was America and that’s a big role to play. That’s how he was portrayed and that was his image – bigger than life. Bigger than John Wayne really.”
Two years later, Penelope Ann Miller (“Chaplan,” “The Artist”) joined the cast as Nancy Reagan.
The aforementioned Petrovich character, the story’s narrator, will be played by conservative actor Jon Voight.
Rounding out the cast is Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher, Marshall R. Teague as former President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze, Kevin Sorbo as a pastor, Amanda Righetti as Nelle Reagan and Justin Chatwin as Jack Reagan, among others, per IMDB.
The film’s director, Sean McNamara, previously produced the faith-based movie “Soul Surfer.” “Reagan” screenwriter Howard Klausner worked on “Soul Surfer” as well as the film’s director.
Release Date
According to Deadline, “Reagan,” is set to debut in theaters on August 30, 2024.
