The long-awaited Reagan biopic, starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th president, is now slated to hit theaters on August 30.
The release date was revealed as newly launched U.S. distributor ShowBiz Direct picked up the film, which will be the company’s debut release, Deadline exclusively reported Tuesday.
The news came more than two weeks after Reagan director Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer, On a Wing and a Prayer) told National Review that the movie would release either in August or September. The first full-length feature film of former president Ronald Reagan is in the final stages of post-production.
With principal photography having begun in September 2020, the cinematic project will finally come to the big screen at the end of August following multiple delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors.
“Portraying Ronald Reagan was an enormous challenge,” Quaid told Deadline. “This is an important movie, one of my most interesting roles and I am really excited to work with the ShowBiz team to get this film opened in theatres this Summer.”
ShowBiz Direct was launched in November and is led by exhibition veteran Kevin Mitchell, former Lionsgate distribution president Richie Fay, and former Open Road distribution co-president Scott Kennedy, Deadline previously reported.
“I’ve had my eyes on this movie for a while. Dennis Quaid does such an amazing job portraying Reagan,” Mitchell reportedly said. “Reagan was sought by many, and we are happy that we could reach an agreement with Mark Joseph and his team.”
The narrative drama, as its title suggests, follows President Reagan (Quaid) navigating life all the way from his childhood years to his time as the leader of the free world, told from the perspective of fictional KGB agent Viktor Novikov (Jon Voight). Additional cast members include Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan, David Henrie as the teenage Reagan, Nick Searcy as James Baker, C. Thomas Howell as Caspar Weinberger, and Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher.
Written by Howard Klausner, the screenplay is based on Paul Kengor’s 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. Kengor teaches political science at Grove City College.
An exclusive look at Reagan was shown at CPAC 2024 in late February. A full trailer is expected to be released online soon, McNamara teased earlier this month.