Alec Baldwin in Talks for Mission: Impossible 5

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Alec Baldwin in Talks for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5 and Sony's Football Concussion Film Starring Will Smith, Plus He's Developing a Rob Ford-Inspired TV Show

By Dave Trumbore

Published Jul 9, 2014

Alec Baldwin is in talks for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5, Peter Landesman's football concussions picture, and a television show inspired by Rob Ford.

If you wanted a trifecta of Alec Baldwin news, well then, my friend, you came to the right place!

Baldwin is in talks for Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible 5, in which he would play the head of the CIA. Jessica Chastain has declined the female lead in the film, but Paramount and Skydance have their eyes set on another.
He's also in talks for the untitled Sony Pictures football concussion picture produced by Ridley Scott, directed by Peter Landesman, and starring Will Smith.
In the bonus round, Baldwin is reportedly developing a TV show with NBC Productions in which he would play the Mayor of New York City, a politician modeled after Canada's own Rob Ford.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

As Deadline reports, Baldwin is in talks for M:I5, which will see Tom Cruise returning in his famous franchise role of Ethan Hunt. At current, the film has a release date of Christmas Day 2015, with Will Staples penning the script, but next to nothing is known about the plot. In fact, they're still looking for their leading lady as The Film Stage reports that Chastain has actually declined the offer. Variety, meanwhile, reports that newcomer Rebecca Ferguson is nearing an offer for the female lead, which would be some sort of assassin. Ferguson might be best known for playing Queen Elizabeth in the TV mini-series, The White Queen. Simon Pegg will return, while Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton remain rumored.

Deadline's write-up also includes Baldwin's involvement in the untitled football concussion picture, but the details are, once again, lacking. When we reported that Smith was circling the project, we told you that Landesman himself adapted the GQ article "Game Brain" for a picture described as “a drama focusing on the debilitating effects that concussions are having on our sports heroes, and the role that league owners play in allowing it to happen.” Smith would play “Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuro-pathologist who was a total outsider and made the first discovery of CTE, the concussion syndrome that has been fatal in contributing to the suicides of former superstars like Dave Duerson and Junior Seau.” Smith's involvement was reported about a month ago and little news on the project has made headlines since.

Finally, Deadline reports that Baldwin's TV project centering on a Rob Ford-like Mayor of New York City is being written by Wells Tower. Ford, Mayor of Toronto, has been a media darling due to his controversial behavior concerning drinking and driving and illegal drug use. He's a mess of a human being, so Baldwin should have one hell of a time playing a thinly veiled version of him on TV. It's just a shame that Chris Farley isn't around to do the honors.