Luke Wilson To Play Roger Goodell In Upcoming Movie?

By Victoria Addison on October 14, 2014

According to a recent report, actor Luke Wilson is in talks to star as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an upcoming movie based on the correlation between concussions and playing football. The news was first reported by The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider, but has not yet been confirmed by additional sources. Sneider claims to know a source who is “familiar with the project”, but Sony, the film’s production studio, failed to comment.

Based on GQ writer Jeanne Maria Laskas’ article from 2009 titled “Game Brain”, the film focuses on the discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its effects on former NFL players. Bennet Omalu, the neuropathologist who discovered CTE, will reportedly be played by Will Smith.

Furthermore, David Morse is set to star as former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, who was the first player to be diagnosed with CTE as a result of football-related injuries. The film focuses on Doctor Omalu and his exposure of CTE the public, which in turn encourages Goodell to donate money to fund scientific research.

The film, produced by Ridley Scott, is yet to have a title. Some are already questioning an actor’s ability to play the part of Goodell and also noting that viewers should not expect an award winning performance out of Wilson. Other actors whose names have been mentioned as cast members include Alec Baldwin and Albert Brooks, both of whom are suspected to act as NFL players.

With details still emerging, it will only be a matter of time before the official word is released concerning Wilson and his opportunity to play the most powerful man in the NFL. For now, Sony is keeping all information regarding Wilson under wraps, but hopefully they will be smarter than the actual commissioner and realize that being careless when confronted with important information is not always the best road to travel down.