Seth Rogen Is Going to Play Walter Cronkite in Historical Drama Newsflash

Well, duh. Who else were they going to get?

In a move that doesn’t seem out of left field at all, Seth Rogen has signed on to play legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite in Newsflash, a historical drama that takes place the day that President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. Working from a script by Ben Jacoby, Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green will direct the movie about the day television news “came of age,” according to Deadline.

Rogen, as you may or may not be aware, is not exactly known for his dramatic work. The actor, writer and producer has stuck almost entirely to comedies throughout his career, usually comedies that involve weed somehow. Green isn’t known for his serious fare, either, but those are the only two names currently signed on to the project, though Deadline reports that they’re courting both Mark Ruffalo and Bryan Cranston.

Nov. 22, 1963 was a pivotal day in American history, as it saw the death of popular young president JFK at the hands of a mysterious gunman. This event propelled fast-responding news shows into the spotlight, such as CBS’ Cronkite, who interrupted the soap opera As the World Turns to bring audiences the news bulletins.

It remains to be seen whether Rogen can summon the gravitas to portray such an essential figure to the American media industry, although his performance as Steve Wozniak in Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs is reason for optimism. Producers hope to have Newsflash ready for Nov. 22 of next year, the exact anniversary of the shooting.