Toronto is losing its mind over the Rob Ford biopic right now
We all knew it was coming. Hollywood has finally decided to turn Rob Ford’s manic, hilarious, tragic mayoralty into a big-budget blockbuster called Run This Town. This morning, the Hollywood Reporter revealed that redheaded looker Damian Lewis will, inexplicably, play the late mayor (with the help of some prosthetics). Ben Platt, Mena Massoud, Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Ehle, Scott Speedman and Gil Bellows have all joined the cast, who are currently shooting in—where else?—Toronto. Naturally, the people of the city, who lived through four years of RoFo madness, had some feelings.
The first stage was, of course, denial:
This is a really really late April fools gag!
— Dane Grgas (@renodane) April 10, 2018
Then Twitter took exception to the film’s classification as a “thriller”:
Better question, Rob Ford 'thriller'?
— Day-Day (@theSteaknEggs) April 10, 2018
I think you spelled Comedy wrong.
— The October Geek (@mjsoctober) April 10, 2018
Counterpoint:
girl if you did not think having rob ford as our mayor was a horrifying thriller then you were not paying attention https://t.co/WygNGoW3Go
— Scaachi (@Scaachi) April 10, 2018
More than a few people wondered if Lewis was really the right man for the job:
"So then we contacted representatives for Wesley Snipes, Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu before zeroing in on Lewis."
— Distopos (@Distopos) April 10, 2018
DAMIAN LEWIS'S AGENT: So Damian Lewis, you're a popular actor with the world ahead of him. What's the one role you crave above all else?
*slides photo of Rob Ford hugging the Cheeseburglar across the table*
DAMIAN LEWIS: This is the girl.
— your friend john (@johnsemley3000) April 10, 2018
From playing Dick Winters to Rob Ford shows one hell of an acting range.
— Matthew Wallin (@MatthewRWallin) April 10, 2018
Which made others wonder who else would join the cast:
who’s playing Doug? Brad Pitt?
— Lisa Gabriele (@lisagabrieletv) April 10, 2018
Damian Lewis as Rob Ford.
Clark Cable as Doug Ford.
A bust of Narcissus as Giorgio Mammoliti.
Alain Delon as Slurpy. https://t.co/Pyvv7NPA1d— your friend john (@johnsemley3000) April 10, 2018
The news that 24-year-old actor Ben Platt would play the reporter who exposes Ford didn’t sit well:
I'm glad they're rewriting the fact that it was a female reporter who investigated Rob Ford. Why have a woman be a lead character when a man could do it? Ammaright? https://t.co/Nx3holhuZW
— robyndoolittle (@robyndoolittle) April 10, 2018
Platt himself weighed in:
I have the utmost respect for your accomplishments- I play a totally fictionalized character, an entitled, incapable entry-level reporter (my boss is played by Jennifer Ehle) at a fictional competing newspaper. The film alludes to the successful reporting from the Toronto Star.
— Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT) April 10, 2018
Not everyone thought the title Run This Town was the best available option:
Alternate Titles for the new Rob Ford thriller RUN THIS TOWN (come on, we can do better)
RESERVOIR DOUGS
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVY TRAIN
GET HIM TO THE STEAK QUEEN
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ROBBIE
SNAKEY SNAKE— Jesse Hawken (@jessehawken) April 10, 2018
Meanwhile, some Ford followers began listing off their most anticipated scenes:
I want to be on set when they film this scene of the Rob Ford movie. pic.twitter.com/MNpOHrphYL
— Gruber's Mullet (@GrubersMullet) April 10, 2018
If Damian Lewis reenacts this in the movie then I'm all the way here for it https://t.co/2ZLA88vYbi
— Frazier Tharpe (@The_SummerMan) April 10, 2018