The growing star power of Bradley Cooper might not have been enough for The A-Team to overcome the box office powder keg that Jaden Smith and The Karate Kid became, but that isn’t stopping Disney from betting on him, buying up an untitled baseball drama with him attached.
Part of the appeal might also be the writer, Allan Loeb, who has practically become a star himself (at least with studios looking for the next hot writer) after assignments like Things We Lost in the Fire and, more recently, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
This new pitch (although given that it’s a baseball film it should really be a 'field' or a 'diamond') was originally cooked up by producer Andrew Panay, who was inspired by the story of a player who is injured and has to content himself with the minor leagues for a while. The only place he can find to live is in an old folks’ home where, wouldn’t you know it, there’s a crusty guru of the sport who helps him win back his prior form.
Described to The Hollywood Reporter as a cross between Scent of a Woman (blind Al Pacino guides young Chris O’Donnell in the ways of la femme) and The Rookie (older pitcher Dennis Quaid gets another shot), it’ll now have to score a director and a few more cast members before it can even think about shooting.