Well I'm getting the book after all so, no prob here :)
Universal Pictures has emerged victorious in the battle for the film rights to the nonfiction best-seller "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10."
Peter Berg, who is directing Universal's upcoming Middle East thriller "The Kingdom," will write and direct the adaptation, which did not come cheap. Sources said the studio paid $2 million against $3 million to acquire the rights to the tome as well as the underlying rights.
Akiva Goldsman is producing via his Weed Road banner along with Barry Spikings, one of the Oscar-winning producers of Universal's "The Deer Hunter," and Sarah Aubrey, Berg's producing partner at his Universal-based Film 44 shingle.
Written by Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, "Survivor" tells the true story of how Luttrell led a small team in northern Afghanistan to capture or kill an al-Qaida leader housed in a Taliban stronghold. On foot, they encountered two adult men and a teenage boy, and a debate broke out about whether the SEALs should execute the trio to keep them from alerting the Taliban or let them go.
Luttrell made the decision to spare their lives and free them. An hour later, the SEALs were attacked by the Taliban.
Luttrell, blown off a cliff, was the only one to survive the attack and spent four days hiding out in the mountains evading Taliban assassins. He eventually was taken in by an Afghan tribe, who cared for him and risked everything to protect him when the Taliban arrived on their doorsteps.
Although the book triggered a bidding frenzy, the buildup for the project was slow. Luttrell worked on the book in 2006 while recovering from his injuries, then did a six-month stint in Iraq. It was not published by Little Brown until June, after the author had left the military.
When it first made the Hollywood rounds, the studios passed, the common wisdom being that the subject was too tough to take on and that there already were a growing number of Middle East-set war movies.
Attorney Alan Schwartz, who repped Luttrell, set up a series of high-profile meetings with such producers as Brian Grazer and Anthony Minghella in late July. By then, Luttrell's book had become a surprise best-seller, and producers and execs were clamoring to meet the 6-foot-5-inch Texan.
Although Goldsman tried to bring the project to Warners, the producer proved instrumental in guiding it to Universal. He heard of the book via Spikings, his father-in-law, and introduced Luttrell to Berg, a friend with whom Goldsman is shooting the Will Smith superhero movie "John Hancock." The director and author took to each other since Berg is a fellow Texan with a love for the SEALs, who appear in "Kingdom."
For Luttrell, the most important item on his list was that any adaptation had to respect his fallen comrades, so he wanted to achieve a comfort level with his suitors. According to sources, Schwartz said he did not want an auction scenario but was going to let Luttrell decide where to place the project.
Schwartz, however, left for a weeklong vacation after the meetings, and it was then that the bidding began in earnest.
Sources said the competition got under way when latecomer DreamWorks made a high-priced offer, escalating bids into the seven figures. DreamWorks proposed a team of Michael Bay attached to direct, with Scott Rudin and David Permut producing and Steven Spielberg as executive producer.
Instead, Schwartz opted for the Universal package. The plan is for Berg to write the script once he has wrapped "Hancock" and make it his next directorial outing.
"(Schwartz) is either an innocent dove or a complete genius," one source close to the bidding said.
Berg and Weed Road's Kerry Foster will executive produce.
Berg is repped by Endeavor.
Peter Berg, who is directing Universal's upcoming Middle East thriller "The Kingdom," will write and direct the adaptation, which did not come cheap. Sources said the studio paid $2 million against $3 million to acquire the rights to the tome as well as the underlying rights.
Akiva Goldsman is producing via his Weed Road banner along with Barry Spikings, one of the Oscar-winning producers of Universal's "The Deer Hunter," and Sarah Aubrey, Berg's producing partner at his Universal-based Film 44 shingle.
Written by Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, "Survivor" tells the true story of how Luttrell led a small team in northern Afghanistan to capture or kill an al-Qaida leader housed in a Taliban stronghold. On foot, they encountered two adult men and a teenage boy, and a debate broke out about whether the SEALs should execute the trio to keep them from alerting the Taliban or let them go.
Luttrell made the decision to spare their lives and free them. An hour later, the SEALs were attacked by the Taliban.
Luttrell, blown off a cliff, was the only one to survive the attack and spent four days hiding out in the mountains evading Taliban assassins. He eventually was taken in by an Afghan tribe, who cared for him and risked everything to protect him when the Taliban arrived on their doorsteps.
Although the book triggered a bidding frenzy, the buildup for the project was slow. Luttrell worked on the book in 2006 while recovering from his injuries, then did a six-month stint in Iraq. It was not published by Little Brown until June, after the author had left the military.
When it first made the Hollywood rounds, the studios passed, the common wisdom being that the subject was too tough to take on and that there already were a growing number of Middle East-set war movies.
Attorney Alan Schwartz, who repped Luttrell, set up a series of high-profile meetings with such producers as Brian Grazer and Anthony Minghella in late July. By then, Luttrell's book had become a surprise best-seller, and producers and execs were clamoring to meet the 6-foot-5-inch Texan.
Although Goldsman tried to bring the project to Warners, the producer proved instrumental in guiding it to Universal. He heard of the book via Spikings, his father-in-law, and introduced Luttrell to Berg, a friend with whom Goldsman is shooting the Will Smith superhero movie "John Hancock." The director and author took to each other since Berg is a fellow Texan with a love for the SEALs, who appear in "Kingdom."
For Luttrell, the most important item on his list was that any adaptation had to respect his fallen comrades, so he wanted to achieve a comfort level with his suitors. According to sources, Schwartz said he did not want an auction scenario but was going to let Luttrell decide where to place the project.
Schwartz, however, left for a weeklong vacation after the meetings, and it was then that the bidding began in earnest.
Sources said the competition got under way when latecomer DreamWorks made a high-priced offer, escalating bids into the seven figures. DreamWorks proposed a team of Michael Bay attached to direct, with Scott Rudin and David Permut producing and Steven Spielberg as executive producer.
Instead, Schwartz opted for the Universal package. The plan is for Berg to write the script once he has wrapped "Hancock" and make it his next directorial outing.
"(Schwartz) is either an innocent dove or a complete genius," one source close to the bidding said.
Berg and Weed Road's Kerry Foster will executive produce.
Berg is repped by Endeavor.
B
Boondocksaint375
Guest
I called the movie thing lol; it's gotten too much of a buzz for Holyweird to ignore it.
Yeah, a big boobed chick will propably get a good sex scene in this movie :doh:
Please, please don't screw this up LA !
Please, please don't screw this up LA !
D
DDSSDV
Guest
Not another "Navy SEALS" type flick but my confidence goes with the Hollywierd stupid rendition.
pardus
Verified Military
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
- Messages
- 10,534
Exactly!
Black Hawk Down anyone ?
Yep. Although I do fear they will screw this up, and it's going to piss me off.
It's going to piss everybody off. But no matter, MTV will make it look "cool".
D
DDSSDV
Guest
I hope for Luttrell's sake it doesn't bomb. Its quite the story and along with what his mates did its needed to show the world what price is paid for the freedom of others.
Yeah and show all the ignorants back home what kind of enemy the troops are fighting against. It's no damm PC game where a Tomahawk strikes a bulding and the problem is solved.
Agree wholeheartedly. IF done right...it would be an amazing movie.
Laxmom723
Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2007
- Messages
- 123
Finished the book. I had put it away right after I read the part about LT Murphy using the cell phone. My soon to be DIL came to visit, told me it was worth gettting through to the end. So one full box of kleenex later, she was right. It was worth the tears to read the story of all of the heroes of that day(s). It was tough, I remember meeting Mr & Mrs Murphy & Heather. Ex went with me. That wake & funeral still leaves me speechless, the utter sadness in his family, the gratefulness of what seemed to be all of Long Island for his military service. Marcus did a great job with the book, I'll be passing it along to my students this fall as an extra credit reading assignment. They need to know about the angels who died to protect us.
I'm glad to hear you finished it, and your idea for the students' extra credit reading assignment is an outstanding one Laxmom. I hope they will appreciate the incredible sacrifices these men made. And that our Military makes every single day...
Laxmom723
Member
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- Jan 1, 2007
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- 123
Usually at the words extra-credit they perk up, so I could have as many as 100 read it this year, we'll see. I have LT Murphy's prayer card along with a SEAL flag in my room, so the kids already know the broad strokes of the story. I thank Marcus for telling the details.
I'd like them to know the names of the fallen, have those names be touchstones for bravery like Audie Murphy & Rocky Versace.
Queen Beach
Member
Have a question:
Do you have any issues with parents who do not support or agree with your teachings?
I think it is fantastic and wish that more teachers would help our youth understand the sacrifices many give for our freedoms.
It is the political correctness of our nation that may well be it's downfall!
Laxmom723
Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2007
- Messages
- 123
Well I teach at a private school, so the PC is much less. I leave it to them to draw their own conclusions, in some cases they disagree with mine. That's fine as long as they give a well-written and well-argued response. It's exposure they need, exposure to the sacrifices given by so few for so many.
Also, I give a short list of extra-credit assignments that is pretty flexible, I enjoy the students creating their own extra-credit assignment & grading criteria. They know the simple rule is NO FLUFF, I don't grade garbage.
You know QB, so far I have found both parents & students really supportive & willing to really listen. The kids raised money & sent care packages to the 82nd in Afghanistan (a colleague's son). They "get it", if you know what I mean. A contributing factor might be that we are on LI, I have numerous students whose families were/are affected by 9-11. For them I think Marcus' book will resonate deeply.
