Jake Gyllenhaal's Boston Marathon Bombing Movie Gets Financing From Bold Films (Exclusive)

The actor is not only starring in the drama but will now also produce it as well.

Bold Films has come on board to produce and fully finance Stronger, a Boston Marathon bombing feature project that is to star Jake Gyllenhaal.

At the same time, Gyllenhaal, who has a first look deal with Bold, the company behind his acclaimed 2014 movie Nightcrawler, is expanding his role in the drama, becoming one of its producers. The move makes Stronger the first film project out of the gate of the star’s production banner Nine Stories that the actor co-runs with partner Riva Marker.

Lionsgate, which was previously financing, remains on board as domestic and international distributor.

David Gordon Green will direct Stronger, which is heading towards an April 4 production start as it adapts the book by Jeff Bauman, a survivor who lost both his legs in the 2013 attack.

Bauman was waiting for his girlfriend at the finish line of the annual marathon when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.

Gyllenhaal will portray Bauman, while Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany will play his girlfriend.

John Pollono wrote the script for the project, which was developed by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman of Mandeville Films. Lieberman and Hoberman are producing the movie, as is Scott Silver, reuniting the team that helped make the Oscar-winning 2010 drama The Fighter. Gyllenhaal joins them, as does Bold’s Michel Litvak.

“Riva and I started Nine Stories just a few months ago to support and create projects like Stronger,” Gyllenhaal said in a statement. “We are extraordinarily excited to bring this inspiring story of love and the human spirit to the big screen.” Nine Stories also is developing an anthology series centered on cults for A&E.

Marker, Peter McGuigan, Anthony Mattero and Gary Michael Walters will exec produce the movie.

Walters said boarding Stronger is part of Bold's overall plan of "expansion into bigger-budgeted films."