Richard Linklater to Direct Lou Gehrig Biopic Starring Glen Powell for Universal

A very interesting project has just been greenlit by Universal.

According to Deadline, Glen Powell and Richard Linklater are reuniting for an untitled Lou Gehrig biopic. Powell will portray the legendary New York Yankees first baseman, with Linklater directing and Simon Rich (“Artificial”) writing the screenplay.

The project reunites Powell and Linklater after their collaborations on “Everybody Wants Some!” and “Hit Man.” No production start date has been announced, though Powell is expected to take a break after a nonstop stretch of work.

Gehrig remains one of baseball’s most iconic figures, known as “The Iron Horse” for his record-setting streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. A seven-time All-Star, six-time World Series champion, and Triple Crown winner, Gehrig spent his entire 17-year career with the Yankees before his career was cut short in 1939 after being diagnosed with ALS, the disease that now bears his name. He died in 1941 at age 37.

Oddly enough, Hollywood has only previously tackled Gehrig’s story once, with the acclaimed 1942 classic “Pride of the Yankees,” starring Gary Cooper. It’s high time somebody made a film about this incredible man’s life.

I gather this will not be Linklater’s next film. For some time, he has been planning a project centered on 19th century hippies. Last we heard, Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, and Ethan Hawke were attached to star. Hopefully, it shoots this year.

Linklater released two films in 2025, “Nouvelle Vague” and “Blue Moon,” both terrific, and after releasing four films in the last four years, he’s clearly not slowing down.

Through it all, and with nearly 35 years of filmmaking under his belt, Linklater has built an extraordinary body of work that includes “Dazed and Confused,” “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset,” “Before Midnight,” “Boyhood,” “Waking Life,” “School of Rock,” “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “Me and Orson Welles,” “Bernie,” and “Apollo 10½.”