When he isn’t taking part in massive franchises like The Avengers, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, or The Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner is developing his own projects. About a month ago we reported he launched The Combine, a production company with partner Don Handfield in which he is developing a Steve McQueen biopic to star in. Variety now reports another project to add to the list.
Renner, in a deal with Paramount, will produce and star in the rally racing biopic Slingshot, following the true story of Bill Caswell. The underdog story followers the racer “who competed against professional race teams in the World Rally Championships in Mexico with a $500 BMW he bought on Craigslist.” Handfield will write the screenplay, and you can find more details below.
Caswell went up against pro teams in the Mexican event in a 1991 BMW 318i. Formerly a finance banker, Caswell left his job in 2009 to focus on rally racing in cars that he built, modified and fabricated himself — and gained recognition by placing third in the Rally America class of Rally Mexico.
There is no director attached yet and, with Renner’s busy schedule, no word on which of the projects he is developing will go first. The story of Caswell seems like one that can easily transfer to cinema, especially with Renner as the lead. He seems to have the acting intensity for this rags (riches) to riches story. Check out an interview with the racer below.
Do you already know the story of Caswell? Could Renner fill his shoes for this biopic?