Deadline reports Liev Schreiber is no longer among the cast of King Richard, but is now being replaced by Scandal’s Tony Goldwyn due to a conflict in Schreiber’s schedule.
King Richard, which is a biopic of tennis coach Richard Williams with Will Smith starring in the role, was three weeks into production before shutting down due to lockdowns from the public health crisis. It is set to resume filming in Los Angeles next week.
Goldwyn takes over the role of Paul Cohen, a talented tennis coach who trained John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Venus and Serena Williams.
The film is being directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script by Zach Baylin, and “Baylin depicts the determination and fortitude of Williams, who trained his two daughters to play tennis, beginning on cracked courts in Compton, California, to later coaching them to Grand Slam wins and shaping them into two of the greatest players in the sport.”
Smith is portraying Williams while Saniyya Syndey (Hidden Figures) and Demi Singleton (Godfather of Harlem) star as Venus and Serena Williams respectively. The cast also includes Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country) as Brandi Williams, Jon Bernthal (The Punisher) as Rick Macci.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.