Dennis Quaid will play former American President Ronald Reagan, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Directed by Sean McNamara and produced by Mark Joseph, Reagan will reportedly take a deep dive into the actor-turned politician’s life.
Reagan served as the 40th President of the United States of America, from 1981 to 1989. Prior to that, he was a movie actor and headed the Screen Actors’ Guild from 1947 to 1952. He was also the Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. The film will trace his childhood, delve into his term as governor and then his presidency. It will also feature the attempted assassination of the Republican president in 1981 and his battle with Alzheimer’s disease in his last days.
David Henrie will play the young Reagan, while Quaid will play the older version. The biopic has been written by Howie Klausner and is based on two biographies by author Paul Kengor. Reagan is scheduled to be released in 2019.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joseph met with 50 of Reagan’s friends, confidantes and cabinet members to recreate his life accurately. “Dennis was always our first choice. He’s one of the great actors of our time,” he told the publication.
Quaid said that the upcoming biopic will appeal to people of all political affiliations. “Reagan was a fascinating and multifaceted human being and this movie captures his humanity,” he said. “We’re making a movie for Republicans and Democrats alike since Reagan transcends politics. I can’t wait to get started.”
Quaid was last seen in the Erwin brothers’ Christian drama I Can Only Imagine (2018). He is set to appear in Jonathan and Josh Baker’s sci-fi action film Kin, and the second season of Amazon’s psychological thriller Fortitude.
