Production has started on a new Disney film starring Jon Hamm. The based-on-a-true-story film, Million Dollar Arm is set to film in India, Georgia, and Los Angeles.
The movie follows JB Bernstein, a once-successful sports agent who finds himself being edged out by his competitors. After watching a cricket match on TV one night, JB comes up with a radical idea that will take him and his partner Aash to India to find the next baseball pitching sensation. JB jets off to India with a gifted but grumpy scout (Alan Arkin) and stages a televised national competition called “Million Dollar Arm” where 40,000 hopefuls compete.
In the film, JB brings two finalists (played by Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal) back to the states to train with pitching coach Tom House (Bill Paxton). The recruits have a hard time learning the game of baseball and managing life in the U.S., but they end up teaching JB the true meaning of teamwork and commitment.
The screenplay was written by Tom McCarthy and is being directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl).
Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm is best known for his role as Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men. The movie also stars Academy Award winner Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton, Lake Bell, and Aasif Mandvi. The pitching recruits are played by Surah Sharma and Madhur Mittal. Sharma won acclaim for his portrayal of Pi Patel in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, while Mittal is best known for the role of Salim in Slumdog Millionaire.
Million Dollar Arm is slated for a theatrical release in 2014.
