Editorial Staff
“Apocalypse Now” co-stars Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall will reunite for football drama “12 Mighty Orphans”.
The film, starring Luke Wilson as Texas football coach Rusty Russell, was co-written by Ty Roberts and former “Prison Break” star Lane Garrison, and is based on the book by Jim Dent. Roberts also directs.
Deadline, who have the scoop on Sheen and Duvall’s casting, says :
At an orphanage perched atop a hill overlooking Fort Worth, Russell turned a scrawny band of 12 underdog castoff orphans into a team of fierce warriors that left their opponents bewildered and battered. In spite of being outweighed by at least thirty pounds per man, the youngsters become one of the toughest football team in Texas. They began with nothing―not even a football―yet Russell’s innovative offense helps lead the orphans to the state playoffs. At a time when America desperately needs fresh hope and big dreams, the Orphans prove that heart can triumph over great obstacles.
“Eyes Wide Shut” actress Vinessa Shaw plays Rusty’s wife Juanita Russell, and “Seinfeld” alum Wayne Knight plays Frank Wynn, a man with a politician’s demeanor who runs the day-to-day operations of the orphanage but hides a darker nature.
In the film, which began production recently in Fort Worth, “West Wing” icon Sheen plays Doc Hall, “a country doctor who has served the orphans for 30 plus years without ever taking a paycheck and who was responsible for bringing Russell to the orphanage and becomes his assistant football coach”, while Duvall (“The Judge”) is Mason Hawk, “a wise free mason and an orphan to boot, who instills wisdom in the Mighty Mites as to what being an orphan truly means.”
