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EXCLUSIVE: The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock has been set to write and direct The Partner, based on the John Grisham bestseller. The project is set up at New Regency, whose principal, Arnon Milchan, previously adapted the Grisham novels A Time To Kill, The Client and Runaway Jury, back in the day when Grisham was getting up to $8 million for movie rights to his legal thrillers.
Hancock has also been circling Highwaymen, the John Fusco-scripted drama about the vet cops dragged out of retirement to hunt down bank robbers Bonny and Clyde. If Hancock commits to that film, he’ll do The Partner next.
Published in 2005, The Partner is about Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a white shoe Biloxi law firm with a wife and newborn daughter. Trapped in a burning car one night, he died, leaving behind only ashes. But Lanigan is disillusioned enough by his life to fake his death and steal $90 million from his firm. He just has to hope the wrong people don’t catch up with him as he goes on the run. CAA-repped Hancock made his directing debut on The Rookie, after scripting such films as A Perfect World and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
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Have always thought this book would make a fantastic movie. It will be a challenge to make the story easily followed by the viewer without making it too long, however. Believe this was published in 1997, not 2005.
Didn’t Ann Peacock already do an adaptation of this?
I thought so too! I also thought this was set up with Chartoff…when did it leap over to New Regency?
Not sure, but Peacock’s script is really good. Anyone else read it?
the 90′s called. they want their book back. Congrats Brad Weston – way to revolutionize the company. JLH went from making millions on The Blindside to working on reinventing himself with tired ideas already?
Yes, from 1997, but uncharacteristically dark, one of his best.
Somehow, Hancock escaped 2004′s “The Alamo” unscathed. (It being one of the five biggest bombs in film history, considering the budget.) But then, Disney also managed to sweep it under the rug. How appropriate that the set was hit by lightning last fall, and half burned to the ground. “Heaven’s Gate” and “Ishtar” still elicit chuckles, to be sure, but “The Alamo” boondoggle has disappeared. Ron Howard exited the production as director for reason, I suppose, although he remained as producer.
I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit, probably the last good book Grisham wrote. BTW, the book was published in 1997 not 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Partner