According to a report from Deadline, Australian director Shane Abbess has been signed to direct the film production centered around the 2016 Chicago Cubs, with a working title of Teammate. Bill Murray has also reportedly been in talks about portraying Cubs manager Joe Maddon. If you didn’t already know this by now, Bill Murray is a diehard Chicago Cubs fan.
The movie would be a film adaptation of the story as told by former Cubs catcher David Ross in Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages. A script has already been written as work on the film continues to move forward. But can you see Murray taking on the role of Maddon?
Both have their quirks, and Murray being a Cubs fan would certainly help give him the right perspective of the film portrayal of Maddon. It almost sounds crazy enough to work. The idea seemed to impress Maddon when asked about the possibility of having Murray play him on the big screen.
“Are you serious?” Maddon reacted when told about it, according to CSN Chicago. “He’s much better looking than me. And second of all, it’s very flattering if that is true. He would totally dig on that, just the part of being on the baseball field as a manager.”
When we cast the potential roles last year we had Ten Danson in the role, but Murray would certainly be a solid choice as well.
They may want to get the ball rolling on this film soon, because the Cubs are back in the postseason and ready to potentially make some more history. After clinching the NL Central Division Wednesday night, the Cubs are locked up in the NLDS next week against the Washington Nationals, with the first two games being played on the road.
Murray just might want to make sure he signs a deal for two movies, just in case.
[Deadline]
