Seth Rogen to Play Walter Conkite, Chase That Oscar Gold

By Sheryl Oh

Rogen and David Gordon Green will tell the story of the most trusted newsman in America.

Seth Rogen has found his latest role: portraying real-life anchorman Walter Cronkite. The comedy veteran is attached to play the CBS newsman in David Gordon Green‘s newest film, Newsflash.

Hot off the heels of his Jeff Bauman biopic, Stronger, Green will direct Newsflash from a script by Ben Jacoby. The film will take place on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated — the day Cronkite became the “most trusted TV newsman voice of America,” despite NBC beating CBS to the punch in announcing the President’s death. Other featured players in the movie will reportedly be producer Don Hewitt, network boss Jim Aubrey, and young reporter Dan Rather, the latter of which establishing himself as a dogged reporter amongst many trying to find out what really happened on November 22, 1963.

Newsflash certainly sounds quite like The Post in its approach to journalism and its importance to the White House, and that can only be a good thing. Kennedy’s own life and death have been intensely documented on film too, with more movies about him continuing to be made regularly. JFK’s assassination may be well-covered in the scope of American film, but the frenzied period of the 1960s and the multiple angles at which to tackle the story remains a fruitful ground for the industry.

Green started his career as a dramatic director, but shifted towards comedy in 2008 and collaborated with Rogen on Pineapple Express. Green then returned to his dramatic roots with 2013’s Joe and has continued to experience success in the genre since. Rogen instead continued to primarily bulk up a comedy resume, making increasingly polarizing films such as The Interview and Sausage Party in the process. He has credits as a dramatic actor too, featuring in films such as 50/50 and Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs.

As can probably be predicted from the impressive cast of Stronger, which includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany, Green will most likely be seeking out an all-star cast to further bolster Newsflash‘s appeal. Deadline reports rumors of Mark Ruffalo and Bryan Cranston being courted to join the cast as Hewitt and Aubrey, although this is all hearsay at this point.

The article Seth Rogen to Play Walter Conkite, Chase That Oscar Gold appeared first on Film School Rejects.