The best and most popular sports films are often inspirational true stories. The filmmakers behind the basketball pic formerly known as The Boys Of Lincoln Place, and now called Men Of Granite, will be hoping that holds true for them. First, though, they have to secure financing to start work, and are looking to recruit Shirley MacLaine to star.
Unfortunately for those hoping for a real shake-up to the genre, MacLaine won’t be hitting the court, but will play real-life teacher Sophia Prather. She helped to mentor and inspire a group of Armenian immigrant boys who longed to play basketball for their high school. Despite bigotry and prejudice, they ended up becoming state champions in 1940 and were known, in a rather un-PC fashion, as the 'Terrible Turks'.
Prather, who had a school named after her in Granite City, Illinois, also brought in the local high school coach to help guide her students, and he rediscovered his love of the game when the new arrivals joined his team. William Hurt is reportedly interested in playing that role, with Dwayne Johnson-Cochran attached to direct and Granite City native Armand Kachigian providing the script.