Before there was President Donald Trump, before George Bush and his son George W. Bush, there was a president many look to as the ultimate conservative – former President Ronald Reagan.
Strangely we haven’t gotten a full biopic yet, but that’s about to change with the release of the movie Reagan, which tells the story of the storied president from diapers to death. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming biopic.
The release date
Reagan is directed by Sean McNamara and based on a 2006 book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism by Paul Kengor. It’s Reagan’s life as told by former KGB agent Viktor Petrovich.
The movie stars Dennis Quaid as the titular character and Penelope Ann Miller as his wife Nancy. Jon Voight plays Petrovitch.
Reagan was produced by Mark Joseph, who also associate-produced the last movie made by comedian Jerry Lewis, per The Hollywood Reporter. He said Quaid was “always our first choice” and that the performer was “one of the great actors of our times.
While the movie is definitely about a Republican, Quaid praised the former president as a “fascinating and multifaceted human being and this movie captures his humanity.” He said it was “a movie for Republicans and Democrats alike since Reagan transcends politics.”
The movie was supposed to come out in the Summer of 2019, then 2021, and has been in development since 2010. Joseph was forced to look for outside financing for the $25 million film after several deals fell through.
The newly launched ShowBiz Direct acquired the movie for theatrical distribution. Reagan is set to release in theaters on August 30.
Who was Ronald Reagan?
Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989. He has one of the more interesting stories on his road to the presidency. Reagan’s term is remembered for his nationalistic endeavors and his “peace through strength” initiative overseas.
When he was running for president in 1980, he pledged to restore “the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.” Sound familiar?
Reagan got a studio contract in 1937 and appeared in more than 53 movies. His foray into politics began when he was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. During that time, he “became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry,” and “his political views shifted from liberal to conservative.”
He was elected the Governor of California in 1966, a position he won by more than one million votes. He was reelected in 1970. When he ran for president he defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter by 449 electoral votes.
After serving two terms as President, Reagan moved away from his public life. He passed away on June 5, 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 93 years old.
‘Reagan’ Trailer
The trailer features various scenes from the movie, stretching from Reagan’s time in Hollywood to the end of his life from Alzheimer’s. A cover of the song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” plays in the background during the trailer.
“I was a lifeguard on a river. And I learned how to read the currents — not just the ones on the surface, but also the ones deep underneath the water,” Reagan says in the trailer.
The cast
Here’s a (mostly) full list of the cast:
- Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan
- David Henrie as Young Reagan
- Mena Suvari as Jane Wyman
- Amanda Righetti as Nelle Reagan
- Jon Voight as Viktor Petrovich
- Justin Chatwin as Jack Reagan
- Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan
- Xander Berkeley as George Schultz
- Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher
- Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner
- Robert Davi as Leonid Brezhnev
- Trevor Donovan as John Barletta
- Marshall R. Teague as Eduard Shevardnadze
- Nick Searcy as James Baker
- Dan Lauria as Tip’ O’Neill
- Ryan Whitney as Margaret ‘Mugs’ Cleaver
- Mark Moses as William P. Clark
- Elya Baskin as B.E. Kertchman
- Olek Krupa as Mikhail Gorbachev
- Randy Wayne as Tony Dolan
- Darci Lynne Farmer
- Alex Sparrow as Andrei Novikov
- James Austin Kerr as Sterling Hayden
- Stephen Guarino as Mike Deaver
- Mark Kubr as Herb Sorrell
- Paul T. Taylor as Dr. Benjamin Aaron
- Damon Carney as Holmes Tuttle
- Eloisa Huggins as Patti Davis
- Robert Peters as Agent Jerry Parr
- Scott Stapp as Frank Sinatra
Here’s hoping this won’t be a completely uncritical hagiography, but with Jon Voight in the cast we’re not holding our breath.