Jon Hamm, known for playing the dapper Don Draper on AMC's "Mad Men," is headed to Georgia for a Disney film called "Million Dollar Arm."
The movie also stars Oscar-winning actor Alan Arkin, who appeared in "Argo," which just nabbed the best picture Oscar a few months ago; and Suraj Sharma, star of "Life of Pi," which won cinematography, directing and original score Oscars. The plot, as summed up by imdb.com: "A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Asian cricket players to play Major League Baseball."
It looks like this gets cranking pretty soon, since they’re lining up workers. “The Million Dollar Arm” is accepting crew resumes now at milliondollarprods@gmail.com.
Baseball movies love filming here by the way, given the large and small ballfields Georgia has to offer (not to mention the state's tax incentives for movie and television projects). "Trouble With the Curve," with Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, filmed diamond scenes at locations including Turner Field and Dunwoody High School. "42," the magnificent new Jackie Robinson movie starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford, filmed here as well as Macon, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala. Hammerin' Hank Aaron visited the set while it was filming here, and the Braves just hosted a red-carpet screening event.
Other movies with baseball scenes have filmed here, too. "The Change-Up," starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman, filmed a scene at Turner Field and actually cast former Braves pitcher John Smoltz in a cameo role (it ended up being cut, though). And "Parental Guidance," starring Billy Crystal as a former minor-league baseball announcer and Bette Midler as his wife, filmed at Ocee Park in Johns Creek.
“Atlanta was always very dear to me,” Crystal, who has family here, told us during an interview promoting “Parental Guidance” last year. “It was like a second home for a while.”
Midler hadn’t spent much time in Atlanta before heading south for the family-friendly comedy.
“The support from the city has been absolutely gigantic,” she told us during the joint interview with Crystal. “It was great fun.”
Here’s hoping Hamm enjoys it here, too.
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