Ethan Hawke, Daniel Radcliffe & Jessica Biel To Star In ‘Batso’ About Trailblazing Climbers Who Took On Iconic Peak El Capitan; North.Five.Six, CAA & WME Launching For EFM

Andreas Wiseman
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (Training Day), Emmy and BAFTA nominee Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter franchise) and Emmy nominee Jessica Biel (Sinner) are set to star in Batso, the true story of a trio of trailblazing climbers who in the early 1970s took on the most difficult route up iconic peak El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

3311 Productions, Watch This Ready and Under the Influence have set Kyle Marvin (80 for Brady) to direct Hawke as Warren “Batso” Harding and Radcliffe as Dean Caldwell, who were the first climbers to take on the famously difficult sheer face El Capitan route known as “The Wall of Early Morning Light.” Biel will play Beryl Knauth, a trailblazing climber in her own right and Warren’s romantic partner. The script was written by Eamon O’Sullivan.

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Here’s the fun synopsis: “In 1970, ‘The Wall of Early Morning Light’ was an unthinkable climb. For larger-than-life climbing legends Warren ‘Batso’ Harding and Dean Caldwell, it represented a near-impossible physical and mental challenge. For iconoclast Batso, it also offered one last chance to stick it to the naysayers who thought him too old, too out of touch and too crazy. For novice Dean, it was a way to see beyond his 9-to-5 existence and unlock the awesome potential of the human spirit.

“What began as an almost farcical exercise became one of the great underdog stories in the history of the sport. The estimated 10-day climb stretched into a 28-day marathon of grit and determination that sparked a media sensation.”

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According to the Yosemite website: “The pair was forced to wait out storms while on the wall and to drill extensively through areas that looked to be more natural from the ground. They started the climb with 15 days of provisions but required 27 days to finally make the summit. The National Park Service mounted a rescue for the team when they were mid-route, but Harding and Caldwell famously refused and continued their epic ascent unaided. They were met on the summit by throngs of media.”

Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall of north.five.six are handling international sales and also serve as executive producers. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent represent the film’s North American rights.

“The people who live in the world of professional climbing may seem to be doing something extreme, but in reality, their actions are a mirror of our lives,” said director Kyle Marvin. “We all have a Dawn Wall we are destined to summit, or die trying.”

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Upcoming, Hawke – who previously tackled spectacular but dangerous peaks in Alive – directed the Flannery O’Connor biopic Wildcat and stars in Leave the World Behind.

Radcliffe is starring alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsey Mendez in Maria Friedman’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway and recently starred in the Emmy-winning Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Biel most recently starred in Candy and was a producer on Freeform’s Cruel Summer.

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Hawke is repped by CAA, MGMT Entertainment and George Sheanshang. Radcliffe is repped by ARG. Biel is represented by UTA, LBI Entertainment and Yorn Levine Barnes.

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