'Breaking Bad' Star Bryan Cranston to Play Blacklisted Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo [VIDEO]
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston will be playing the role of Dalton Trumbo in an upcoming biopic about the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter.
Cranston will be portraying Trumbo, the famous screenwriter who defied the blacklist -- in the 1950s, members of the film fraternity were investigated for their loyalties to communism and purported propagandist intentions -- and fought against the Congress, in his push to invalidate the infamous list. The film, Trumbo, will be directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents). John McNamara has written the script for the film, he adapted the biography (Trumbo) by Bruce Cook.
The film is being developed by Michael London's Groundswell Productions and is expected to go into production in 2014. London is producing the film with Janice Williams, Kevin Brown and McNamara. Kelly Mullen is an executive producer on this project.
Trumbo was one of the most successful and highest paid screenwriters in the world. In 1950, Trumbo was one of the ten to be included on the infamous blacklist. He was sent to prison for not cooperating with the authorities when the Congress' House UnAmerican Activities Committee questioned him about his communist allegiances, he refused to give them any information. After serving eleven months in prison, when he was finally released, Trumbo continued to rebel and went incognito to freely pursue his writing. During the time he secretly wrote, he produced classics like Roman Holiday. He also won two Academy Awards under his fake name (Ian Mckellan Hunter) at the time.
Cranston has been nominated for his fourth Emmy for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad this year.
A documentary on Trumbo was released in 2007.
Watch the trailer of the documentary:
