Warner Bros. has debuted the first trailer for 42, the upcoming biopic based on the life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey.
Harrison Ford plays Rickey with Chadwick Boseman (The Express) playing Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues, breaking the color barrier in 1947.
Ford was quoted by USA Today this morning discussing the project and said, “This isn’t a history lesson, or a Sunday school sermon. What interested me was their relationship. They had these indomitable spirits, but very disparate personalities.”
As for his approach to his character he says, “There are two ways to play [a historical figure]. One way is to confine yourself to represent a real person in a narrow vein. The other is to use it as an opportunity.” He turned to Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) for advice, “He said it’s an opportunity to use the (real) man as a mask that tells the truth. That’s what I wanted to do.”
Directed by Brian Helgeland (A Knight’s Tale, Payback), the film is set to hit theaters on April 12, 2013. Check out the trailer directly below.
