EXCLUSIVE: Black List alumni Matt Cook has come on board to adapt Button Man: The Killing Game for DreamWorks. The scribe joined the film last month. Previously, Insomnia scribe Hilary Seitz and Paranoia co-screenwriter Barry Levy had worked on the adaptation of the ultra-violent graphic novel created by John Wagner and Arthur Ranson. Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn is helming Button Man. The story centers on Harry Exton, a hired gun who decides to abandon the death match that gambling millionaires have set up to amuse themselves. In the process of opting out, he finds he might not only have to kill his fellow contestants but also the guys pulling the strings. The film is produced by Roger Kass, Josh Braun, Mark Sourian and Michael De Luca.
Mandeville Films is set to produce Cook’s 2009 Texas-based Black List script By Way Of Helena with Kieran Darcy-Smith directing. Cook is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.


Roger Kass kicks ass!
Fantastic book, hope they don’t soften it. Who am I kidding? NWR means buckets of blood. Yes!
Sounds like Running Man wtf
When you talk about Running Man, i’m assuming the film rather than the book. There are elements alike yes, and I believe the comic of first Button Man was either late 80s or early 90s. It does differ in one crucial way. Every person in the game is a volunteer. A REAL volunteer I may add. They are in it for the money, and the kudos. Every one of them considers themselves the best killer, and they hunt each other down while their backers wager money on them. Also if they get “caught” and not outright killed in say a firefight, then individuals can “take a marker” which lasts as long as you have fingers on your shooting hand if you catch my drift, and that’s you out of the current game. Run out of “Markers” and you will be killed.
They could actually really mess it up really badly if they DO go the Running Man route and make it a reality show thing. It’s more about a violent game, played for and followed by the social elite. Not for us scrubs.
13 Tazmeti again!!!