Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde to Join Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell

Joining the star-studded cast of Clint Eastwood’s forthcoming film Richard Jewell are actors Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde, according to Variety.

The film is a true story based on Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair article that detailed the story of Richard Jewell, a security guard whose life got thrown into chaos after law enforcement leaked to a reporter that Jewell may have been responsible for the pipe-bombing at Centennial Park during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Wilde is set to play reporter Kathy Scruggs, who covered the event as it unfolded, while Hamm will play an FBI investigator tasked with investigating the bombing. Alongside the two big-time actors, Paul Walter Hausser will play the titular character, with Sam Rockwell portraying his attorney and Kathy Bates portraying his mother.

During the 1996 Olympics, Jewell initially found a bomb that resulted in many lives saved. Law enforcement began to claim that Jewell planted the bomb himself and then “found” it to gain notoriety. Throughout the 88 days it took for the FBI to clear him, Jewell maintained his innocence in the situation; however, the damage was already done to Jewell’s reputation and his overall health. Jewell went on to become a police officer, but unfortunately died at the age of 44.

Eastwood will direct from Billy Ray’s script and will also produce the film through his own Malpaso Productions. Originally, Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio were set to star in the film, with DiCaprio playing what is now Rockwell’s character. Instead of starring, the two actors are acting as producers for the film. Tim Moore, Jessive Meier, Kevin Misher and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are also producing.

Mostly recently, Wilde has been riding the high of her directorial debut Booksmart. Hamm has most recently been seen in Amazon’s Good Omens, and can also be seen in the forthcoming Lucy in the Sky with Natalie Portman, as well as Top Gun: Maverick, which appears in theaters next summer.