J.K. Simmons Boards Patriots Day Opposite Mark Wahlberg

J.K. Simmons is set to join Mark Wahlberg in director Peter Berg’s upcoming Patriots Day movie

CBS Films and Lionsgate have today announced that Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) will join Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor) in the upcoming Patriots Day movie. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and is set to be produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson and Michael Radutzky.

The Patriots Day movie chronicles the events surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Simmons will play Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese of the Watertown Police Department who distinguished himself in combat with Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Wahlberg will play a composite Boston Police Department officer who is central to the investigation and manhunt.

The title Patriots Day references an official public holiday, although it may sound unfamiliar to those who have not lived in Massachusetts, Maine and/or Wisconsin. In those three states, Patriots Day is observed on April 19 in recognition of the Battle of Lexington which, in 1775, signaled the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. The Boston Marathon is held in conjunction with the city’s annual celebrations.

“Beyond his considerable talents, J.K. Simmons is a person who respects the solemn trust that these real life heroes are putting in our hands,” commented Berg. “This is an actor who will represent the role in the best way possible.”

The Patriots Day movie will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate with the former handling production and marketing and the latter handling distribution.

Production will begin on Patriots Day this fall in Boston. Check back for further updates on the project as they become available.

(Photo Credit: FayesVision / WENN.com)

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