Henry Faherty
Margot Robbie continues her speedy hike up the hill towards becoming one of Hollywood’s top stars. With 2016 being a packed year for her, including “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot“, “The Legend of Tarzan“, and the wild “Suicide Squad“, she’s now added yet another impressive film to her schedule. The Australian actress is attached to star as the disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya”, with the script to be written by Steven Rogers, according to Empire Magazine.
Harding made her fame back at the 1991 Olympics where she rose from the impoverished underdog to one of top skaters in the United States. She was also the first woman to complete the triple axel jump, but soon after she became one of the most notorious performers of the sport. During the prelude to the 1994 Olympics Harding worked with her husband to try and sabotage Nancy Kerrigan, an opposing skater going up against her in the qualifying rounds. Harding’s spouse, along with a few partners, tried to attack Kerrigan’s leg, hoping to cripple it.
The plan fortunately only left Kerrigan with a bruised knee, and she went on to still win a spot on the American team. Harding’s reputation was, of course, disgraced after this maneuver and she was eventually banned for life. With all that said, Robbie is now taking on the role of Harding, although no other details have been revealed about the biopic. It’s definitely a complex character and it will be interesting to see Robbie’s approach to playing her. She’s shown her diverse skill in comedy, drama, and action, so she’s a great fit for the part.
There’s no director attached as of yet but that should soon change. In writing the script, Rogers talked to both Harding and her husband, so he’s done quite a lot of research in preparing to tackle a sensitive topic like this. There’s no official release date but the biopic will probably go into production later this year.
Robbie can be seen next in “The Legend of Tarzan” on July 1st, followed by “Suicide Squad” on August 5th.
