Channing Tatum’s dream to play the late stuntman Evel Knievel is set to finally come true, as the 35-year-old is signed on to take the role of the legendary showman in an upcoming biopic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will be called Pure Evel.
Channing will also be co-producing the Sony Pictures project, while Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky has just come on board as director.
The role is a dream-come-true for Tatum, who has previously spoken about his love for Knievel, telling Jimmy Fallon last year, “I was obsessed with Evel Knievel. He was so far ahead of his time that it was incredible.”
Evel, whose real name was Robert Craig Knievel, became a big star in the 1970s due to his spectacular motorcycle stunts and his famous stars-and-stripes jumpsuits.
On one occasion, he jumped over 14 buses on a motorbike and he also tried (and failed) to jump across Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket in 1974.
Evel died of pulmonary disease in 2007 at the age of 69.
And Tatum is clearly taking his preparation for the role seriously, recently sharing a photo on his Instagram page celebrating his completion of an off-road motorbike riding course. Maybe the Magic Mike star is planning to do his own stunts too?
