According to Deadline, Ethan Hawke (Alive, Training Day), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, Miracle Workers), and Jessica Biel (Blade: Trinity, Candy) are set to portray the leading roles in the upcoming Batso movie, which will tell the true story of three trailblazing climbers.
Hawke and Radcliffe will be playing the respective roles of Warren “Batso” Harding and Dean Caldwell, who were the first climbers to take on the difficult El Capitan route in the Yosemite National Park during the early 1970s. Meanwhile, Biel has been tapped to play Warren’s partner, Beryl Knauth, who’s also known as a trailblazing climber in her own right.
What is Batso about?
“In 1970, ‘The Wall of Early Morning Light’ was an unthinkable climb. For larger-than-life climbing legends Warren ‘Batso’ Harding and Dean Caldwell, it represented a near-impossible physical and mental challenge,” reads the synopsis. “For iconoclast Batso, it also offered one last chance to stick it to the naysayers who thought him too old, too out of touch and too crazy. For novice Dean, it was a way to see beyond his 9-to-5 existence and unlock the awesome potential of the human spirit.
“What began as an almost farcical exercise became one of the great underdog stories in the history of the sport. The estimated 10-day climb stretched into a 28-day marathon of grit and determination that sparked a media sensation.”
Batso will be directed by Kyle Marvin from a screenplay written by Eamon O’Sullivan. The biographical drama will be executive produced by Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall for north.five.six. It hails from 3311 Productions, Watch This Ready, and Under the Influence.
