Director Brian Helgeland has made major progress on the Jackie Robinson biopic, titled 42, announced just a few months ago. He offered the role of Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers manager who made history by signing Robinson as the first Black player in the history of professional baseball, to Harrison Ford, reports IndieWire.com's Shadow & Act. Helgeland also recently found his Jackie.
In other casting news, director Peter Berg explains to confused fans why he cast Rihanna in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part in his upcoming film Battleship:

“I spent a lot of time in the Navy thinking about who would make sense and who would bring an urban swagger to this character,” Berg explained to The Playlist of his idea to cast Rihanna. “Put a call in, had a great couple of meetings, and she’s a great girl, really hard-working, very smart, wants to be good, really strong work ethic, no attitude, no diva nonsense. She was great.”
It's unclear why Ri's "urban swagger" was cut down to barely two minutes of screen time, but at least she got to stay covered up for this one.
BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

(Photo: Courtesy Battleship Delta Productions)