Comments (0) Best Result of a Houston Premiere - 2001

Bo Eason's Hollywood deal

Former Houston Oiler Bo Eason workshopped his one-man play, Runt of the Litter, in New York and L.A., but when it came time to premiere the piece, he came back to Houston. The production at Stages Repertory Theatre drew large crowds to watch as Eason's fictional alter ego laid bare the conflicts and abuses that had led him to become a maniacal, dirty (but effective) professional football player. Eason and his wife, Dawn, talked at the time of possible movie deals, but even admirers of the play warned that such Hollywood hopes often are pipe dreams. Shortly after the production closed, however, Variety magazine reported that Eason had signed a $400,000 deal with Castle Rock Entertainment to make a movie of Runt, and to work with respected director Frank Darabont of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile fame. That was the combination Eason was most hoping for as he pitched the project around Hollywood. There are, of course, many hurdles to be cleared before the movie gets made, but Runt -- partly through the help of Houston support -- has allowed him to get his foot in Hollywood's door.