Affleck in "Glory Road"
Thursday, October 30, 2003 7:27 AM EST
Ben Affleck has committed to star in "Glory Road", a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Disney drama about the college hoops coach who shattered the color barrier by leading the first all-black lineup of players to the NCAA championship.
Affleck will play coach Don Haskins, whose 1966 Texas Western team beat an all-white team from Kentucky.
The project reunites Affleck with Bruckheimer, with whom he worked on the Michael Bay-directed films "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor".
When Haskins was named head coach, he headed right to the playground to recruit players. While the major college teams used slow-tempo offenses, Haskins' teams revolutionized the college game with a run-and-gun style that overwhelmed the opposition. He won the NCAA title four years after taking over the team and helped open the college game to African-Americans.
Affleck is expected to begin shooting "Glory Road" in early 2004. He has two upcoming films in the can - "Surviving Christmas" and the John Woo-directed "Paycheck".
