Jeremy Irons, currently appearing in HBO’s “Watchmen” and an Oscar winner with “Reversal of Fortune,” is to star in and produce biopic “Frankel,” which WaZabi Films will be selling at next week’s AFM.
Irons plays horse trainer Sir Henry Cecil, who fought years of failure and illness to make Frankel the greatest champion racehorse of all time, unbeaten in all 14 starts, and bowing out with an emotional victory in front of a capacity crowd at the Champion Stakes at Ascot Racecourse.
Irons produces the film, which is expected to go into production in the spring, alongside Andrew Berg and John Sachs of Eclipse Films. It is written by Jim Piddock (“Mascots,” “Family Tree”) and directed by Ron Scalpello (“The Corrupted,” “My Name Is Lenny,” “Bobby”).
WaZabi will handle worldwide sales on the film, and will co-sell the U.S. with CAA. WaZabi co-presidents Anick Poirier and Lorne Price said they “immediately connected with the determination and resilience of the story.”
WaZabi’s slate also includes drama “Coda,” about a pianist struggling with stage fright late in his career. It stars Patrick Stewart, Katie Holmes and Giancarlo Esposito.