Warner Bros. just released their press materials for the upcoming biopic 42, Jackie Robinson’s story whowing his rise as the first major African American baseball superstar. It also showcases Brooklyn Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey’s brave stand against the prejudice of the nation and Robinson’s struggles to win over his teammates and the world.

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired Robinson’s jersey #42 and celebrate “Jackie Robinson Day” on April 15 of every year. 42 hits theaters three days before that celebration this year.

Director Brian Helgeland broke out as a screenwriter with the amazing L.A. Confidential in 1997 before making his directorial debut with the intense Mel Gibson thriller Payback and then following it up with the very fun A Knight’s Tale. His output has been lackluster since writing Man on Fire in 2004, so hopefully 42  will me a return to form for Helgeland.

42 stars Chadwick Boseman (The Express) as Jackie Robinson and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey.

Here is the synopsis of 42:

Hero is a word we hear often 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.

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