The 40th president of the United States is a popular subject. There have been 64 documentary film and biographical TV projects based on the life of Ronald Reagan in recent years according to a tally by TV Guide. Now another one is in the planning stages, but this one has a defining characteristic: Its is the first to include authorized input from a family member.
A new series on the USA Network includes Patti Davis — the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan — as executive producer.
“The untitled limited series will explore his early days as a lifeguard, time in Hollywood and his victories and failures as a president as well as what made him an American paragon, beloved husband and complex father. This is the first project about Reagan that comes with cooperation from a member of his family,” reports Nellie Andreeva, an analyst for Deadline/Hollywood.
The writer behind the new series is David Rambo, author “The Lifeguard,” a biographical play about Reagan brought to the stage in 2011.
“There are a lot of Reagan haters out there. I was one of those Reagan haters for a long time. But the more I researched, the more I felt — not a love — but a respect for Reagan the man,’ Mr. Rambo told the Los Angeles Times that year.
The Reagan cachet continues to appeal to others in the business as well. “Reagan the Movie” is a long-term project still in development by Mark Joseph, who has produced 30 films including “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and Ralph Winter, the producer behind the “X Men” series, among other feature films.
The History Channel is also developing “Rise of Reagan,” part of the network’s series about U.S. presidents titled “The Commanders.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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