Steve Carell gets dramatic to star as John du Pont for Moneyball director

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Director Bennett Miller has been developing a biopic based on the life of billionaire paranoid schizophrenic John du Pont for over four years now. Following the success of MONEYBALL, he’s finally got the money and the star that he needs. Steve Carell has signed on to star in the film as John du Pont, a scientist and heir to the DuPont fortune who shot and killed a friend on his sprawling estate in Pennsylvania.

Du Pont grew increasingly paranoid that people were out to get him and even lined his attic with razor wire to prevent people from climbing inside. It’s unclear exactly what led to the shooting of David Schultz, his longtime friend and athletic partner, but du Pont was found guilty with a mental illness and sentenced to 30 years in jail (he died last year, still in a Pennsylvania prison, at age 72).

FOXCATCHER, named for the estate in Pennsylvania where du Pont spent his time, was written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, who worked with Miller on a preview biopic, CAPOTE.

While Carell has dabbled in the dramatic before – most notably in films like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and DAN IN REAL LIFE – all of those films had light and comedic moments. FOXCATCHER could be Carell’s first true drama and could very well wind up being his first Oscar nomination (Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for CAPOTE and Brad Pitt looks to be a lock for MONEYBALL).

Carell just wrapped the romantic comedy SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD with Keira Knightley, is filming GREAT HOPE SPRINGS with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. Filming on FOXCATCHER is expected to begin this March.