No visit to set of Jackie Robinson movie on Astini News
Update: Turns out President Obama did not visit the the set of the Jackie Robinson movie today -- he instead made a food run to The Varsity.
Earlier post:
From one icon to another?
There are reports that President Obama, the nation's first African-American president, wants to visit the set of a forthcoming movie about another pioneer: Jackie Robinson, who broke the color line in baseball in 1947.
The film -- entitled 42, which was Robinson's uniform number -- is being shot in Atlanta, where Obama is holding a pair of fundraisers today.
Thomas Tull, the chief of Legendary Entertainment, told Deadline.com that the White House has inquired about a visit to the set.
The film studio is not on Obama's public schedule, but would not be in any case because of security concerns.
From Deadline.com:
Tulls says they'd received a call from the White House earlier this week to see if it would be OK if Obama came by.
"Well, of course I said it would be OK," said Tull, who has given $35,800 to the Obama Victory Fund 2012 so far. Details of the set visit are still being worked out. In recent campaign speeches, Obama has mentioned Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier, as "laying the groundwork" for an African-American to become President.
Obama recently has relentlessly been hitting up Hollywood for cash.
42, which was the ball player's uniform number, details Robinson's 1947 rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Brian Helgeland-directed film stars Harrison Ford as Dodgers GM Branch Rickey and Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson. 42 is scheduled to be released on April 12, 2013, not long after the MLB season opener.
