It has been reported that J.K. Simmons has joined the Peter Berg-led drama Patriots’ Day opposite Mark Wahlberg. Patriots’ Day is a state holiday, observed with particular importance in Massachusetts, which marks the anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord; the first battle of the American Revolution.
A celebration of the holiday that has been held annually since 1897 is the Boston Marathon, linking the American struggle for freedom to that of Athens at the battle of Marathon. The Boston Marathon suffered from a terrorist attack in 2013 by naturalised American citizen Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, in which 3 civilians were killed and 264 injured.
It is on this bombing that Patriots’ Day will focus, adding a cruel irony to its title. Real-life Bostonian Wahlberg will be playing a composite of various Boston police officers who were involved in the bombing and the subsequent manhunt for the two terrorists. New addition J.K. Simmons will be playing Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese of the Watertown Police Department, who was involved in the shootout with the terrorists.
The picture has been written by Bridge of Spies‘ Mark Charman and production should begin next month. There is currently no release date set for the production.
#Peace.Love.Patriots’Day
