Studio 8 Gets Into Business With ‘A Most Dangerous Man’
EXCLUSIVE: Studio 8 has finalized the deal for A Most Dangerous Man based on the Forward article “The Strange Case of a Nazi Who Became an Israeli Hitman” written by journalists Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman.
Pic will follow the true story of Otto Skorzeny, a high ranking Nazi special forces soldier and Hitler confidant who was known by the Allies as “the most dangerous man in Europe”. After the war, Skorzeny was relocated and recruited by an intrepid Mossad agent to work with him as a double agent to eliminate Nazi rocket scientists working on a secret Egyptian rocket program. William Brookfield (Kidnapping Mr. Heineken) & Oded Ailam are set to co-write the screenplay. Ailam is a 22 year-plus Mossad vet. At the time of his retirement, Ailam served as the Deputy Head of Global Operations. Prior to holding this post, he served in various other capacities in the organization such as the chief of the Counter Terrorism Center.
Tanya Seghatchian (co-producer, EP on four Harry Potter films) is attached to produce A Most Dangerous Man for Studio 8, alongside John Powers Middleton and Alex Foster at Middleton Media. Seghatchian is the former head of the development and film funds at BFI/UK Film Council where she worked on such prolific titles as Bright Star, The Iron Lady, The King’s Speech and Under the Skin. After overseeing the merging of the Council with the British Film Institute, Tanya struck a first-look deal with Studio 8. She recently served as EP on Peter Morgan and Stephen Daldry’s upcoming Netflix series The Crown for Sony TV. In addition to partnering with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment, Middleton recently launched The Affleck/Middleton Project (Manchester by the Sea) with Casey Affleck. Middleton served as EP on Oldboy, Run All Night, Poltergeist, The Boy as well as upcoming pics Dungeons and Dragons, The Stand and the Death Note remake. Together with Foster, he’s an EP on Sleepless.
Amotz Zakai at Echo Lake Entertainment will also serve as EP on A Most Dangerous Man. Jon Silk, Chris Goldberg and Rishi Rajani are overseeing the project for Studio 8. Brookfield and Ailam are repped by Camille McCurry at United Agents and Echo Lake Management. Raviv is represented by Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. Melman is a client of Asaf Carmel Associates. Raviv and Melman also have a book proposal based on A Most Dangerous Man.
Next up for Studio 8 via their partnership with TriStar Pictures is Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk which made its world premiere at the New York Film Festival and will open stateside on Nov. 11. Studio 8’s Solutrean is currently in post, while White Boy Rick is in pre-production with Yann Demange directing.
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