Rob ford movie

Hollywood is making a movie about Rob Ford

Before there was Drake to put Toronto on the map, there was the late former mayor Rob Ford – Canada's most entertaining politician perhaps ever, and certainly one of its most controversial.

At least 10 books have been written about Ford's tumultuous time as Mayor of Toronto, detailing everything from his infamous crack-smoking video to that time he started ranting in Jamaican Patois to his untimely death from cancer in 2016.

Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the world is getting a RoFo feature film.

The Los Angeles-based news outlet reported on Tuesday that filming is already underway on a drama called Run This Town in Toronto.

Set against the backdrop of Ford's last year in office, the movie reportedly focuses on a reporter who "attempts to expose a scandal involving a politician who doesn't play by the rules."

Pitch Perfect actor and broadway star Ben Platt will play that reporter, and while publicists stress that his character is fictitious, it is of note that the actual reporter who broke and won awards for her investigation into Ford was the Toronto Star's Robyn Doolittle.

Almost as strange is the casting of Ford, who will be portrayed by the comparatively slender British actor Damian Lewis. 

The Billions star is apparently wearing prosthetics of some kind for the role.

Toronto natives Nina Dobrev and Mena Massoud will play political aides who "try their best to handle [Ford] and keep the story suppressed" in the film, according to THR.

Additional cast members include Canadian actors Scott Speedman, Gil Bellows and Lauren Collins (Paige from Degrassi,) though it's unknown which types of roles they will be playing.

"Much of the details on the movie remain under lock and key," writes the industry paper. "IMDb doesn't even have character names."

We do know that the movie is both written and directed by Ricky Tollman, though. According to his Instagram profile, Tollman met Ford himself, at least once, back in 2014.

King Robbie and me

A post shared by Ricky Tollman (@rickytollman) on

Luckyyyyy.

Lead photo by

Christian Bobak


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