Captain America: Civil War star Sebastian Stan has agreed terms to star opposite Margot Robbie in upcoming sports biopic I, Tonya.
Put together under Robbie’s newfound production company – a company that also has an active role in the upcoming DC spinoff movie, Gotham City Sirens – Deadline reports that Stan has landed the role of Jeff Gillooly, the ex-husband to Robbie’s disgraced figure skater, Tonya Harding. Shooting is expected to commence imminently, when Craig Gillespie (The Finest Hours) will be calling the shots from behind the lens.
Once held up as the spirited underdog who rose to the tip-top of the figure skating world, Tonya Harding became embroiled in one of the most infamous (and frankly bonkers) scandals in sports history. Just prior to the 1994 championships in Detroit, Gillooly (Stan) ordered Shane Stant to viciously attack Harding’s skating rival Nancy Kerrigan, with the intention of ruining her dreams of an Olympic medal. However, karma prevailed; after the attack, Kerrigan was left with a heavily bruised – but crucially not broken – leg while Tonya Harding, once a sporting icon, found her career and public image in tatters. Kerrigan eventually recovered in time to compete in the 1994 Olympics.
Thanks to Civil War and Suicide Squad, both Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan have exciting futures to look forward to in the superhero space as Harley Quinn and Bucky Barnes, respectively. But news that the pair will anchor a true-life sports biopic immediately piques our curiosity, as it gives both a chance to flex their acting chops without a massive ensemble clamoring for the lion’s share of screen time.
Featuring a script penned by Steven Rogers, production on I, Tonya is due to begin in January. We’ll keep you posted as the sports biopic begins to coalesce.