Toronto – April 9, 2013

Warner Bros. Pictures shares the story of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. “42” opens in theatres this Friday, April 12, 2013.

Hero is a word often heard in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. 42 tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and trailblazing Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. 42 has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements including language.

After seeing this biopic at a White House screening, First Lady Michelle Obama supports 42 saying, “We think that everybody in this country needs to watch this movie. We walked away from that just visibly, physically moved by the experience of the movie, of the story.” Michelle continues, “It was the raw emotion that it just makes you feel after the experience…. You’re left just asking yourselves, how on Earth did they live through that? How did they do it? How did they endure the taunts and the bigotry for all of that time?”

From Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) comes the real-life drama 42, starring Chadwick Boseman (The Express) as Jackie Robinson and Oscar® nominee Harrison Ford (Witness) as Branch Rickey.

In 1947, Branch Rickey put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and other players.

Facing blatant racism from every side, even his own team, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired. The only exception is every year on April 15th—Jackie Robinson Day—commemorating the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. On that day alone, players from every team proudly wear the number 42 to honor the man who altered the course of history. The film opens in theatres on time to commemorate this day.

Rounding out the main cast of 42 are: Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson; Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher; Andre Holland as Wendell Smith; Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese; Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca; and Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker.

Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, 42 is produced by Thomas Tull, with Dick Cook, Jon Jashni, and Jason Clark serving as executive producers, and Darryl Pryor and Jillian Zaks co-producing.

Helgeland’s behind-the-scenes collaborators included Oscar®-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Richard Hoover, costume designer Caroline Harris, and editors Kevin Stitt and Peter McNulty. The music is composed by Oscar® nominee Mark Isham (“A River Runs Through It”).

For more information visit:
www.42movie.com

For downloadable general press information visit:
www.press.warnerbros.com

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