The son of Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas plans to produce a film of his father’s life. Playing the former Baltimore Colt in scenes regarding the team’s 1958 NFL title-game win will be the current Baltimore Raven who recently led the team to a Super Bowl title.
Joe Unitas tells the Baltimore Sun that Joe Flacco has agreed to don the Colts uniform and play the role of John Unitas.
“Obviously, the Baltimore ties are very important to me,” Unitas said. “I think it’s great that Joe just won the Super Bowl with the Ravens and was Most Valuable Player in the game. A lot of the way Joe plays and his demeanor reminds me a lot of my dad. He’s not a rah-rah guy. He throws a touchdown and maybe there’s a little fist pump. He understands his job is all about winning and he does a phenomenal job leading the offense and the team and obviously they’ve developed a lot of trust after becoming a champion. He’s an awesome teammate and great leader of the team.
“He does things the right way and is a good role model for kids and he gets what hard work is and does everything he can for the team. There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between Joe and my dad. My production team is very fortunate and thankful that he’s dedicated to help us and play my dad. I know he doesn’t do a lot of things away from the game, and football players’ time off in the offseason is very valuable. For him to take time away and commit to doing this is very humbling.”
Filming is scheduled to begin on July 15, but cash could be an issue. “We are under the gun to raise money,” Joe Unitas said. “We’ve set up an opportunity for NFL fans from all over the country to invest into the film. Those charities were two groups that were pretty important to my dad. We’re very excited.”
The projected budget is $12.8 million, and proceeds will be donated to USA Football and Gridiron Greats. Joe Unitas co-wrote the script, which is based on Tom Callahan’s biography Johnny U: The Life and Times of Johnny Unitas.
More information about the film, titled Unitas We Stand, is available at the film’s official website.