Variety is reporting that This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia has signed on to portray daredevil Evel Knievel in a limited series biopic at USA Network.
Titled Evel, the series is being written and executive produced by Etan Frankel and will tell the story of Knievel as he prepares for his greatest feat, the 1974 attempt to jump Idaho’s Snake River Canyon in his Skycycle X-2.
“USA Network is known for big event series that celebrate heroes, rebels and icons, and what could be bigger than the story of one of the greatest thrill seekers of all time?” said Chris McCumber of USA Network. “The incredible life and journey of Evel Knievel lends itself to a dramatic retelling, and we are excited to be partnering with Milo, McG, UCP, Atlas and Wonderland to bring this iconic American tale to our viewers.”
Ventimiglia can currently be seen in his Emmy Award-nominated role in NBC’s hit series This Is Us, and recently appeared opposite Amanda Seyfried in the feature film The Art of Racing in the Rain.
