“Soul Surfer” Sean McNamara has signed to helm a Ronald Reagan biopic that’s set to start production next spring.
The independent movie, titled “Reagan,” will cover Reagan’s life from his teenage years through his becoming the 40th president in 1981 as seen through the eyes of a KGB agent assigned to follow him during his presidency of the Screen Actors Guild between 1947 and 1952. Reagan testified in 1947 as a friendly witness at the start of hearings by the House Unamerican Activities Committee, which led to the creation of the Hollywood Blacklist.
Reagan was governor of California from 1967 to 1975 and easily won two terms as president. He died in 2004.
“Space Cowboys” writer Howie Klausner is writing the script for the $25 million project. Mark Joseph is producing and Ralph Winter is executive producing.
David Henrie, who starred in Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” has signed to star as the young Reagan. Robert Davi, whose credits include “License to Kill” and “Die Hard,” is on board to play Leonid Brezhnev, who presided over the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982.
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McNamara worked as a sound technician at age 18 at Reagan’s inauguration ceremony in 1981. In addition to 2011’s “Soul Surfer,” starring AnnaSophia Robb, he’s known for his work as a partner in the Brookwell McNamara Entertainment production company, which produced and created shows for MTV’s The N, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network including “That’s So Raven,” “Even Stevens” and “Beyond the Break.”
McNamara is currently directing “Live Like Line” for LD Entertainment, and the upcoming “The King’s Daughter,” starring Pierce Brosnan, William Hurt and Kaya Scodelario.
Winter has extensive credits on the “Star Trek,” “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” franchise movies. Joseph was an associate producer on “Max Rose,” and an executive producer on “The Vessel,” starring Martin Sheen.
McNamara is repped by APA.