Kevin Bacon to investigate the Boston Marathon bombing in Patriots Day

Bacon will portray Richard DesLauriers, one of the key players involved in directing the city-wide manhunt that followed the bombing. Law enforcement sought the two young men who had planted bombs during the annual event, killing three and injuring hundreds. The film appears to be angling for awards contention, given its December release date.

Bacon’s Patriots Day role will be a fascinating one. Director Peter Berg described the real-life DesLauriers as having “worked tirelessly” in “an impossibly sophisticated investigation.” The filmmaker highlighted the actor’s intelligence and empathy as key characteristics he brings to the part.

Interestingly, this won’t be Bacon’s first time playing a law enforcement agent working in the Boston Area — or even his second. Prior to Patriots Day, he co-starred in the biopic Black Mass as FBI special agent Charles McGuire; before that, he starred in the buddy cop comedy R.I.P.D. as Boston Police Department detective lieutenant Bobby Hayes. At this point, he should get an honorary badge.

In addition to Bacon, the Patriots Day cast includes John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Jimmy O. Yang, Vince Curatola, and James Colby. The script was written by Matt Charman, who was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing Bridge of Spies. Lionsgate and CBS Films are co-financing the film, with the former handling distribution and the latter managing production and marketing. Mark Wahlberg, Scott Stuber, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero, and Michael Radutzky are set to produce.

Patriots Day opens in select theaters on December 21, with a wider release following on January 13, 2017.