Bryan Cranston has spent five seasons showing the world he knows what to do when it comes to slinging meth, but what about slinging illegal scripts? It can’t be all that different, right? Well, we’ll soon find out in “Trumbo.”
Walter White is set to play famed, blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo in an upcoming biopic about the man. Jay Roach (“Game Change,” “Meet The Parents”) is at the helm of the movie, penned by John McNamara, that will detail the life of the highly successful screenwriter, who was pulled in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he refused to testify and was quickly banned from working in Hollywood. But that didn’t stop him. He moved to Mexico City and kept working, with credits on “Exodus,” “Gun Crazy” and “Spartacus,” and he posthumously won the Academy Award for “Roman Holiday” in 1992 (it was originally credited to Ian McLellan Hunter, who acted as his front after the blacklist was put in place).
It was a tough time both in Hollywood and America, with many forced to pick sides, and friendships were creative partnerships shattered by the scare of Communism, so it’s the right setting for some compelling drama. Production will begin in 2014, but until then, check out the 2007 documentary — trailer below. [Deadline]