Chris Pratt has cemented his next action movie project at Universal, a Prohibition era thriller about a real-life rumrunner, The Real McCoy.
NewsThere’s so much talk about projects and ideas that Chris Pratt might do or could potentially be involved with that it’s easy to ignore the half-dozen or so films he actually has slated on his docket, including now The Real McCoy. And hey, the film will probably even allow him to wear a fedora!
Set in the historic backdrop of Prohibition era Florida where the real-life rumrunner named Bill McCoy transferred the good stuff out of the Bahamas to Florida, and all over the eastern seabord, Pratt would star as the sea captain.
The project, which has been developed from an idea by producer Tom McNulty (The Spectacular Now, Date Night), became the center of a bidding war between Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures. Universal announced its victory in the acquisition with Pratt attached by offering $1.5 million over $3 million. It also brings frequent Universal collaborator Michael De Luca (Fifty Shades of Grey) aboard the project as a producer.
McNalty brought the script, written by The Judge’s Bill Dubuque, to Pratt before going to Universal. But Pratt is developing a definite relationship with that studio on top of his ties to Disney. Indeed, this makes the second project he has in development at the studio after Cowboy Ninja Viking, and of course he is headlining the studio’s soft-reboot of the Jurassic Park brand later this year with Jurassic World.
The actual Bill McCoy was infamous for his rum smuggling skills since he personally was a teetotaler that never touched the stuff.
McCoy also sold his product undiluted and away from either organized crime or crooked law enforcement. Hence, some (including likely upcoming movie marketing), misappropriating the term “the real McCoy” to the bootlegger. In actuality, the term was used at least as early as 1881 by author James S. Bond, and it likely dates back even further to that as colloquialism from 19th century Scotland.
Whatever the case, you’ll be seeing Chris Pratt as The Real McCoy very soon.
