Damien Chazelle took over the Neil Armstrong movie in development when Clint Eastwood dropped out, and he wants to bring over the guy he’s currently working with.
According to Deadline, Gosling is the top choice to play the first man who walked on the moon (if the ROOM 237 rumors are not to be believed). Gos and Chazelle are working together on the musical LA LA LAND, which also features the actor’s CRAZY STUPID LOVE/GANGSTER SQUAD costar Emma Stone. Guess things are going well on that set; if the guy was an incorrigible dickface that never left his trailer, it’s unlikely his director (and his female lead, for that matter) would want to keep working with him, right?
The biopic, written by WEST WING/SPOTLIGHT writer Josh Singer, would be based on James Hansen’s First Man: A Life of Neil, an official biography that’s apparently quite detailed and expansive, though I’d expect the movie to primarily highlight the Apollo 11 launch (which, despite recreations in stuff like FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, has never really gotten the full-fledged big-screen treatment).
While Gos is Canadian, unlike the all-American, born-and-died-in-Ohio Armstrong, I don’t think anyone would bat an eye if he took this role on; despite his sex symbol status, he can evoke the low-key, humble demeanor of Armstrong that would be key in contrasting his humanity with his not unsignificant role in history. Plus, he happens to be currently riding good buzz for his comic role as a Wall Street shark in THE BIG SHORT, even if I personally thought he was a tad arch and over-the-top.
WHIPLASH was a hell of a debut for Chazelle, and it’d be great to see that level of intensity and focus on character in an Armstrong biopic. Gosling is as great a choice for the part as anyone I could think of (though Armstrong admittedly looks more like a Joel McHale/Jason Sudeikis type), and the fact that he’s a world famous marquee face certainly doesn't hurt.
But I would've definitely liked to have seen Kirk Lazarus' turn in the role.
