This could be a major win for the former NFL players involved in concussion-based lawsuits with the league.
According to Variety.com, superstar actor, Will Smith is slated to play Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who first discovered Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), in the brains of deceased, former pro football players. Dr. Omalu’s findings have been said to set the NFL’s newfound “obsession” with player safety, in motion. The title of the movie has not been released yet.
Smith reportedly picked up this new film just days after giving up his role in a movie called ‘Brilliance’.
A GQ article written by Jeanne Marie Laskas is the basis for the movie, which is tapped to be directed by the great Ridley Scott, along with the contributions of producers, Giannina Facio and Michael Schaefer.
“[The film] follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by Smith, the forensic neuropathologist who single-handedly made the first discovery of CTE in a professional football player and brought awareness to the public. A whistle-blower tale humanizing the price paid by professional athletes in impact sports — and the political, cultural and corporate interests that fuel the business of professional sports.”
Do you think a movie such as this, with the new attention it will undoubtedly bring to head injuries, will be damaging to the NFL? Or will it simply be another drop in the CTE ocean, which no one seems to be able to get to the bottom of.