The feature film Gable is set to begin filming next week at Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul. Based on the life of Olympic wrestling legend Dan Gable, filming in Illinois is scheduled to run from August 10 through September 11.
Finn Cole, known for Peaky Blinders and Animal Kingdom, stars as Dan Gable, with Ben Foster portraying his father, Mack Gable. The cast also includes Leslie Bibb, KJ Apa and Isabella Redick, who plays Mackie Gable.
Jon Greenhalgh directs from a screenplay he wrote with Michael Wallach. Greenhalgh has deep ties to wrestling on film, having directed the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Team Foxcatcher. He also served as a producer on The Smashing Machine, the Mark Kerr biopic starring Dwayne Johnson.
Greenhalgh’s connection to the Gable story goes back more than 15 years. In 2010, he was hired to write a Dan Gable biopic then titled Diane’s Room, working with Academy Award-winning writer John Irving.
The remarkable story behind Gable
Born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa, Gable became one of the most dominant wrestlers in the history of the sport.
He compiled a 181-1 record through high school and college, winning two NCAA championships at Iowa State University. His only collegiate defeat came in the final match of his senior season, when Washington sophomore Larry Owings upset Gable in the 1970 NCAA championship.
The loss became another chapter in a career already shaped by extraordinary determination and personal tragedy.
When Gable was 15, his older sister Diane was murdered in the family’s Waterloo home. Gable has spoken over the years about the profound effect her death had on him and how wrestling became an outlet for his grief and drive.
That part of Gable’s life figures prominently in the film, which follows the working-class kid from Waterloo as he channels unimaginable loss into a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Two years after his lone collegiate defeat, Gable reached the pinnacle of international wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
His performance remains one of the most remarkable in Olympic wrestling history. Gable won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling without surrendering a single point to an opponent throughout the tournament.
His influence on the sport continued long after he left the mat.
Gable went on to become head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, where he built one of the most dominant programs in collegiate sports. During his tenure from 1976 to 1997, his teams won 15 NCAA national championships and 21 consecutive Big Ten titles.
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Bringing real wrestlers to the screen
The filmmakers have also looked to the wrestling community itself to help bring Gable’s world to the screen.
Earlier this year, USA Wrestling announced a nationwide open casting call seeking wrestlers and MMA athletes between the ages of 18 and 29 for roles in the feature. The search emphasized performers with actual competitive experience, giving the production an opportunity to bring authentic wrestling talent to the film.
The project is produced by Yvette Yates Redick, Shaun Redick, Graham Manley, David Gould, Andy Barth and Nate Adams. Alex Capaldi serves as line producer, with Brett Hays as line producer/production manager. Yaron Levy is director of photography.
Deanna Brigidi and Andrea Bunke are handling casting.
The production operates under Waterloo West Productions LLC and Impossible Dream Entertainment.
Gable heads to Rantoul
The five-week Gable shoot marks another significant feature production for Flyover Film Studios and Illinois’ growing production activity outside the Chicago area.
Located at the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, approximately 130 miles south of Chicago, Flyover has been developing a production hub capable of accommodating film and television projects in Central Illinois.
The studio’s location also puts the production relatively close to Gable’s roots in neighboring Iowa, where he grew up in Waterloo before becoming a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State.
Filming on Gable is scheduled to begin August 10 and continue through September 11 at Flyover Film Studios.
