The gravity-abused life of iconic stuntman Evel Knievel (1938-2007) will be chronicled by USA Network, which has ordered a limited series, titled Evel.
Milo Ventimiglia, who currently stars on NBC television drama This is Us (which manifests under the same corporate umbrella as the cable channel), will play the eponymous daredevil on USA Network’s Evel, which he’ll also executive produce. The series will focus on a specific period in Knievel’s career, namely the preparatory build-up before his famously-failed jump (atop a steam-powered rocket,) across Snake River Canyon – a heavily hyped event (which aired on closed-circuit television and at theaters,) that took place west of Idaho’s Shoshone Falls, on September 8, 1974, at 3:36 p.m. MDT.
The limited series comes after a 2015 spate of contemplated-but-nixed Evel Knievel biographical projects from heavies like Martin Scorsese and Darren Aronofsky. However, don’t expect the stunts to dominate here, since USA is teasing Evel as a character study on the life of the man himself – at least when not plummeting to the ground in grim-reaper-defying grandeur. Indeed, USA describes the series as “an exhilarating portrait of a complex man living the American dream, juggling meteoric celebrity and raising a family — and facing the very real probability that his next jump will kill him.”
As Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks – USA Network and SYFY expresses in a statement:
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“USA Network is known for big event series that celebrate heroes, rebels and icons, and what could be bigger than the story of one of the greatest thrill seekers of all time?” He adds, “The incredible life and journey of Evel Knievel lends itself to a dramatic retelling, and we are excited to be partnering with Milo, McG, UCP, Atlas and Wonderland to bring this iconic American tale to our viewers.”
The Evel role presents an intriguing challenge for Milo Ventimiglia. Besides his ongoing starring role on This is Us, he recently co-starred with Amanda Seyfried in dog-centric dramedy The Art of Racing in the Rain, having come off a co-starring role with Jennifer Lopez in rom-com Second Act, a role reprisal (from 2006’s Rocky Balboa) as Rocky’s son in Creed II, horror film Devil’s Gate, Adam Sandler Netflix offering Sandy Wexler and even reprised his early-career television role as former well-read delinquent Jess Mariano on Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Of course, genre fans know that Ventimiglia first came to prominence on NBC’s groundbreaking series, Heroes, which made a monumental impact in its 2006 arrival, only to stumble in subsequent seasons, eventually ending in 2010, save for a short-lived 2015 revival series, which he did not join.
Evel arrives under the creative purview of writer and executive producer Etan Frankel (Sorry for Your Loss, Shameless, Animal Kingdom). Joining him are executive producers McG, Mary Viola, and Steven Bello of Wonderland Sound & Vision, as well as Alex Gartner, Charles Roven, Topher Rhys-Lawrence of Atlas Entertainment and, as mentioned, star Ventimiglia. Additionally, Russ Cundiff will co-executive produce on behalf of DiVide Pictures.
Evel Release Date
Evel doesn’t have a release date yet, but production is expected to begin in 2020.
Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.