Will Ferrell will reportedly play former tennis star Bobby Riggs in a new movie, and it's a role that is consistent with some of his favorite parts.
In a film based around Riggs' storied "Battle Of The Sexes" matchup with Bille Jean King,
Ferrell will get to play a sports role set in the 1970s. In movies like Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Semi-Pro and Blades of Glory, Ferrell has played on one or both of those themes.
But this doesn't seem like it'll be another mostly silly Ferrell comedy in the style of the aforementioned movies.
Riggs, who won several Grand Slam titles before facing off in a pair of high-profile matches against female players, was considered by some to be sexist. He is accused of taunting female players into playing him for lucrative sums of money.
A lover of gambling, Riggs is thought by some to have thrown the 1973 match to pay off debts. The accusations are laid out in a recent ESPN The Magazine feature which will be the basis for the movie.
Ferrell will co-produce the film. The script was written by Steve Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Pursuit of Happyness). Along with Ferrell and his production partner Adam McKary, the movie will be co-produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping.
According to Variety, the star's passion for tennis led Chernin to pursue the 46-year-old Ferrell for the role.
(H/T to For The Win)
