Ansel Elgort has been cast as a young JFK in Mayday 109 from the 2015 Black List script
Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars) is set to play a young John F. Kennedy in the upcoming drama Mayday 109, according to Variety. The film is based on a real story about Kennedy’s patrol torpedo boat PT 109 sinking back in 1943. The script from Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore was on The Black List of well-liked, unproduced scripts back in 2015. The project was put into development shortly after. Beau Flynn and Basil Iwanyk acquired the script. Kent Kubena and Taylor Zea will oversee Mayday 109 for Thunder Road and Scott Sheldon for Flynn Picture Co.
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This is not the first time the story has been made into a film. Back in 1963, P.T. 109 was released by Warner Bros. and starred Cliff Robertson. Kennedy was still in office at the time. In 1943, Kennedy commanded the PT 109 in the South Pacific when it was attacked by a Japanese destroyer Amagin. Two men were killed and the allies believed all hands were lost. Kennedy lead the survivors to a deserted island where they had to evade passing Japanese ships. Kennedy’s heroics gathering food and help, leading the men to an island that could support them until they were found, were notable.
Elgort is garnering attention for his work in the upcoming film Baby Driver, which opens in theaters this Wednesday and is written and directed by Edgar Wright, and also stars Jon Bernthal and Jon Hamm. Elgort first broke out in the film The Fault in Our Stars playing a lead role opposite Shailene Woodley. He also appeared with her in the Divergent series of films.
What do you guys think of Elgort as JFK in Mayday 109? Are you excited to see him in Baby Driver? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @ComingSoonnet.
