“Of Men And Mavericks“? Really? We’re not sure we dig the title change given to Curtis Hanson‘s surfing pic formally known simply as “Mavericks” — it makes it sound like an English lit movie — but there is no denying the talent on board.
The film stars Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston and Leven Rambin in the biopic of late surfer Jay Moriarty. The Santa Cruz native found his calling in the world of surfing at a young age and soon flourished with the guidance of local elder Rick “Frosty” Hesson (Butler). Moriarty (Weston) trained under a vigorous mental and physical program in preparation to surf Mavericks, a spot on the California coast where waves five stories tall would come in during the winter swells. He tragically passed away the day before his 23rd birthday in a free-diving accident in the Maldives. The cast is a mix of veteran names and rising newcomers, as THR reports that Elisabeth Shue and former “Mad Men” player Abigail Spencer have joined the film.
The Oscar-nominated Shue will take on the role of Moriarty’s mother, with Spencer to play the role of Frosty’s wife. For the former, it continues the run of mostly independent movies she’s been doing for the last few years, while for the latter it continues her rise in profile, as over the past year she’s also landed roles in “Oz The Great And Powerful” and McG‘s “This Means War.”
Filming kicks off later this month for the Fox 2000 movie, but no release date has yet been set.