Ewan McGregor signs on to Earhart biopic.
Ewan McGregor has signed on to co-star in the Amelia Earhart biopic ‘Amelia’.
Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Virginia Madsen have already boarded the project, which Mira Nair is helming.
The Story centers on the legendary aviatrix (Swank) and chronicles her rise to fame, marriage to publisher George Putnam (Gere) and passionate affair with Gene Vidal (McGregor), father of author Gore Vidal. Ronald Bass penned the screenplay.
The filmmakers have long been trying to land McGregor but were having trouble working out the scheduling. The actor is about to wrap “I Love You, Philip Morris” alongside Jim Carrey and will begin work on Ron Howard’s “Da Vinci Code” follow-up “Angels and Demons” in early June. McGregor will sandwich the “Amelia” role in between.
EXTRAs: McGregor was originally up for the lead role in The Beach, which would have reunited him with director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge who collaborated with McGregor on Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and A Life Less Ordinary. The role went to Leonardo DiCaprio. While McGregor blames studio influence for the casting decision he has not spoken to neither Boyle or Hodge since.