Bill Murray Might Play Joe Maddon In A Cubs Movie, Which Sounds About Right

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 27, 2017 9:32PM

Bill Murray (left) gets into character with the skipper / Getty Images / Photo: Scott Cunningham

It's been a minute since we've heard any casting scuttlebutt for the Cubs World Series movie, but we probably should have seen this one coming all along. According to a report by Deadline, Evanston native and Cubs superfan (and local restaurateur) Bill Murray "has been in talks" to play manager Joe Maddon, although, the site adds, "it’s not clear yet whether that will happen."

It certainly seems like a great dovetail, and not just for the meta stunt-casting of having a guy who actually grabbed the World Series trophy and got doused in champagne after Game Seven along. Maddon and Murray both project an avuncular, elder-statesman vibe, despite having their share of detractors, and Murray's bone-dry drollness could be molded well to fit the Maddon temperament. You can watch a fantastic clip of Murray's post-win celebration, below:

But rumor aside, Deadline also shared a confirmation: the film—which is based on former catcher David Ross' book, Teammate: My Life in Baseball—will reportedly be helmed by director Shane Abbess, of Gabriel "fame" (our scare quotes). As reported back in March, it'll be penned by Ram Getz and John Corcoran and produced by Chicagoan Ted Field (Radar Pictures). Here's hoping reliving Game Seven won't be the coronary episode it was the first time around.

[H/T Sun-Times]