The ensemble cast includes Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, alongside Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, André Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater, and Ryan Merriman in supporting roles.

Spike Lee initially planned to direct a biopic in 1995 with Turner Pictures, but the project fell apart due to creative differences and later financial challenges.

Filming began in 2012 across locations like Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, with Engel Stadium standing in for the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field.

42 was screened at the White House and premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles before it was released on April 12, 2013, by Warner Bros.

It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise centered on Boseman's heartfelt portrayal and Ford's stylized performance.

In Daytona Beach, Florida, Robinson prepares for spring training with the Montreal Royals, the AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn farm system.

Some Dodgers players draft a petition refusing to play with Robinson, but are rebuffed by manager Leo Durocher, whom Rickey confides in.

Robinson signs with the team and plays on the 1947 season's opening day; Rickey convinces former player Burt Shotton to take over as manager.

At a game in Cincinnati, Reese makes a public show of solidarity, standing with his arm around Robinson's shoulders before a hostile crowd at Crosley Field.

The black community in Daytona Beach erupts in cheers while Wendell documents the achievements of Robinson, who confidently sprints toward home plate.

The studio wanted to release it in 1997 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Robinson's breaking of the color barrier, and courted Denzel Washington to star,[23][24] but the project fell apart in 1996 over creative differences.

[28] In June 2011, it was announced that Legendary Pictures would develop and produce a Jackie Robinson biopic with Brian Helgeland on board to write and direct, under a distribution deal with Warner Bros.

During the conversation, he noticed a billboard featuring Robinson's image with the message "Character: Pass it On", which he later described as a moment of serendipity that solidified his interest in the project.

While Rachel initially envisioned a cradle-to-grave portrayal, Helgeland proposed focusing on a specific period—Robinson's transition from the Negro Leagues in 1945 through his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

He studied past baseball movies and cited The Bad News Bears as a standout for its naturalistic portrayal of the sport's emotional and unifying elements.

[36] Filming in Chattanooga marked the longest-running and largest-budget production the city had hosted at that time, surpassing previous Hollywood projects such as Water for Elephants.

While filming wrapped in Chattanooga on May 25, 2012, the green screen setup around Engel Stadium remained in place for several more weeks in case additional shots were needed.

[44][45] The score was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, led by a 60-piece orchestra with further emphasis on French horns and solo trumpet, being the voice of Robinson.

[48] A special trailer for 42 featuring Chadwick Boseman was shown on LodgeNet entertainment systems in over 1,000 Marriott hotels across the United States.

[48] Marriott also hosted exclusive screenings of 42 for members of its loyalty program in Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

Michelle made a speech to the students, and Boseman and Ford, director Brian Helgeland and producer Thomas Tull were interviewed, as well as Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel.

People present included cast members, Rachel, rapper Big Sean, actresses Naya Rivera and Calista Flockhart, and football player Bill Cowher.

The website's critics consensus reads, "42 is an earnest, inspirational, and respectfully told biography of an influential American sports icon, though it might be a little too safe and old-fashioned for some.

"[70][71] Conversely, Peter Rainer, of The Christian Science Monitor, criticized the film as "TV-movie-of-the-week dull.... Robinson's ordeal is hammered home to the exclusion of virtually everything else in his life.

"[72] The film's actors were generally praised, with Owen Gleiberman saying of Ford, "He gives an ingeniously stylized cartoon performance, his eyes atwinkle, his mouth a rubbery grin, his voice all wily Southern music, though with that growl of Fordian anger just beneath it".

[73] The Hollywood Reporter commented that Boseman "has the necessary appeal, proves convincing as an athlete and is expressive in spite of the fact that the man he's playing must mostly keep his true feelings bottled up.

"[81] Caleb Wheeler of The Chimes compared the film with the 2011 Oscar-winning Moneyball, writing, "42 portrays baseball with the proper amount of grit and class.

Signed by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, Robinson’s presence in the league forces America to confront its racial divisions.

[99] A key moment highlights opposing manager Ben Chapman relentlessly taunting him with racist insults, testing Robinson's ability to endure without retaliation.

[31] Robinson and Rachel Isum became engaged in 1943, while he was still in the United States Army and before he began his professional baseball career, unlike in the film, where he proposes after signing the contract with the Dodgers.