"Game Of Shadows" Movie Highlights Two New Barry Bonds Films
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BALCO Scandal To Come
To Big Screen In New Film |
Movie director Ron Shelton and author John Norville are teaming to write a script for a movie based on Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams' book "Game of Shadows," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. The film will air on HBO, likely in '09, and "will be directed by Shelton if his schedule permits." Shelton said that the first draft of the script is "nearly complete." While athletes including former MLB Giants LF Barry Bonds, Yankees DH Jason Giambi and former U.S. Olympians Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery are "characters in the film, Shelton will not cast actors to play them." Shelton said that instead he will "use news footage and 'let the public record speak for itself.'" Shelton will, however, use actors to portray the roles of Fainaru-Wada, Williams, former S.F. Chronicle Editor Phil Bronstein and IRS agent Jeff Novitzky, who "is not participating in the project." Fainaru-Wada said that he and Williams "had a couple of feelers to adapt Game of Shadows for the screen" before being contacted by HBO Producer Mike Greenburg. Fainaru-Wada said that it is "his understanding that they will see the script prior to filming." Fainaru-Wada plans to be on set for some of the filming and said of the movie, "I really do hope [it's] more about what is in the book and the notion of athletes using the substances and the people who drove the investigation, whether its the feds or whistle-blowers who gave us information" (SI.com, 5/27).
DOUBLE PLAY: In Oakland, Dave Del Grande noted former KNBR-AM radio host John Shrader, as part of his master's degree in mass communications at San Jose State Univ., produced a 60-minute documentary titled, "Conflicted: The Barry Bonds Home Run Chase." Shrader for the film "called up some of his colleagues," reaching out to "mostly newspaper columnists and baseball broadcasters for the interviews, [SI] photographer Brad Mangin for still shots and TV and radio stations for action tape and play-by-play calls" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 5/28).
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