“The Sopranos” star Vincent Curatola has joined the cast of Boston Marathon bombing movie “Patriots Day” and will portray longtime Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
Menino, who died in 2014, was in his fifth term and 20th year in office when terrorists attacked at the 2013 marathon.
Lionsgate and CBS Films have given an awards-season release date of Dec. 21 to the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg.
The movie will be directed by Peter Berg (“Lone Survivor”) and written by Matt Charman (“Bridge of Spies”) based on former Boston Police commissioner Ed Davis’ account of the events. Wahlberg, Scott Stuber, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Dorothy Aufiero, Stephen Levinson and Michael Radutzky are producing the pic, which begins shooting this month in Boston.
J.K. Simmons recently joined the cast as Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese of the Watertown Police Department. Four days after the 2013 bombing, the off-duty officer jumped fences and went through backyards to flank bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Wahlberg, a Boston native, will portray a Boston Police Department officer who was central to the investigation and manhunt. John Goodman and Jimmy O. Yang also star.
“Patriots Day” will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate. CBS Films is handling production and marketing, while Lionsgate is handling distribution.
Radutzky is a “60 Minutes” senior producer who leads the broadcast’s creative development unit, 60 Minutes Productions. CBS Films has secured Davis’ life rights, and the movie will utilize other details surrounding the events of the April 15, 2013, attack based on the “60 Minutes” story in which Davis appeared.
Curatola played New York mobster John “Johnny Sack” Sacrimoni on “The Sopranos.” Other credits include “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Good Wife” and “Killing Them Softly.”
Curatola is repped by Stone Manners Salners Agency, McGowan Management and Kraditor & Haber.
