James Belushi will make his feature directorial debut on Lionsgate’s “The Catch,” a real-life story about a 42-year-old who returns to school and plays college football.
Belushi will star and produce with Mike Karz.
David Murray — who wrote the upcoming NFL-produced biopic “Lombardi” — is writing the script.
“The Catch” is based on the life of Marty Reichman, who was on the verge of losing his job and his marriage when he decided to keep a promise to his father and return to college. He finds he’s eligible to play ball and makes the team as tight end.
When Reichman told Belushi his story, Belushi’s Whitehorse Prods. and Karz’s Karz Entertainment made a quick deal with Lionsgate’s Mike Paseornek and John Sacchi.
Though “The Catch” will be the first feature assignment for Belushi, he’s helmed more than 30 episodes of “According to Jim,” the ABC series he toplines and exec produces. The sitcom will complete 18 episodes of its seventh season by January, and Belushi plans to get under way on “The Catch” by March.
Belushi stars in the Disney/Spyglass family film “Underdog.”
