The stories about Moe Norman are legendary.
Like the time he once landed a drive on a bridge to reach the green instead of laying up to avoid a creek. Or how when a caddie once told him he could reach the green with a good drive and a 9-iron, Norman then teed off with a 9-iron and found the green with his driver off the deck.
Moe Norman, a bio-pic on the former Canadian professional golfer, will be co-produced by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and his wife, actress Janet Gretzky, and will begin shooting in the summer of 2022.
“We first became aware of Moe through my father (Walter) who was his great friend and constantly shared incredible stories of this bigger-than-life character,” said the Gretzky’s via a press release. “Moe’s true brilliance and simple life philosophies were often overlooked by his colorful, sometimes ragged clothes, worn shoes and visors, his repetitive speech and eccentric behavior. His story exemplifies one of life’s great lessons: be true to yourself.”
Wayne and Janet’s daughter, Paulina, is engaged to 24-time PGA Tour winner and two-time major champion Dustin Johnson.
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A self-taught player who never took a lesson, Norman had the respect of everyone from Sam Snead to Tiger Woods, who once told longtime golf journalist Jaime Diaz that, “only two players have ever truly owned their swings: Moe Norman and Ben Hogan.”
Norman won consecutive Canadian Amateur Championships in 1955 and 1956, had 55 professional wins and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
David Steinberg and Robyn Todd will executive produce the joint U.S.-Canadian production, with casting by Valorie Massalas.
“In these times, it is so important to share stories about acceptance of others and triumph over adversity,” said Steinberg and Todd. “This is a beautiful, touching film with heart, about a Canadian underdog, and it needs to be told.”
Find out more about Norman and the movie here.
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