R.A Dyer has an excellent book called The Hustler and the Champ which covers Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats, and the events leading to the Great American Shootout. It would make excellent reference material for a screenplay. They can cover Mosconi's early years touring with Ralph Greenleaf, picking up a cue to win $75 to support his family, filming of the Hustler, and being a rep for Brunswick. They could cover how Minnesota Fats, jumped on the the success Newman/Gleason movie "The Hustler', and parlayed it into a celebrity image.
While Danny Basovich is waiting the movie on his life to be made, he could play Jackie Gleason in the Hustler. Gleason could play pool, while Newman had to take lessons from Mosconi to look like a pool player. Jennifer Barretta could stand in for Piper Laurie; Fast Eddie's girlfriend character in the film.