You are viewing the archive: “Nick Wechsler”

‘The Counselor’ Producers Again Strike Fast To Pre-empt Frederick Forsyth’s ‘The Kill List’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 11:49am PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Frederick Forsyth, Nick Wechsler, Steve And Paula Mae Schwartz, The Kill List
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: In a six-figure deal, producers Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz and Nick Wechsler have preemptively acquired rights to The Kill List, the new novel by Day Of The Jackal author Frederick Forsyth. The contemporary espionage tale is described as an intricate chess game between a brilliant Marine, an Israeli agent, a teenage hacker and a mysterious psychopathic cleric. The novel will be published in September by Penguin. Forsyth also wrote The Fourth Protocol and The Odessa File. Schwartz, Schwartz and Wechsler will produce and Roger Schwartz is co-producer. They bought this preemptively as they did The Counselor, which went from a Cormac McCarthy spec to a green lit movie at lightning speed. Matching the gritty intensity that McCarthy has poured into books like No Country For Old Men, the script quickly drew director Ridley Scott and a cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Fox releases it November 15. The producers got an early peek at Forsyth’s novel along with one or two others, but they moved quickest. Their plan is to meet with writers, and go as far as they need to in packaging the film before it finds a landing place at a major studio. CAA, Ed Victor and attorney David Fox negotiated the deal.

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Next Jonathan Stone Novel Acquired By Producers Behind Cormac McCarthy Adaptations ‘The Road’ And ‘Counselor’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday October 30, 2012 @ 12:00pm PDTTags: Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz

EXCLUSIVE: Producers Nick Wechsler and Steve Schwartz have acquired film rights to the next novel from author Jonathan Stone to be published sometime in 2014. Stone had been calling it In The Barn but it sounds like that title will likely be changed. The book centers on Stanley Peke, a tough old guy who survived the Nazis as a feral child in the Polish woods and became a success in American business. But his age makes him a target for thieves who prey on the elderly and steal their possessions. This time they picked on the wrong man, and Stanley’s going to get it all back in a powerful, harrowing and ultimately uplifting story. Chockstone Pictures and Nick Wechsler Productions are producing, reteaming the companies behind The Road and upcoming The Host and The Counselor, among other book-to-film titles. Wechsler, Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz are producers. Roger Schwartz and Lizzy Bradford are co-producing and Kevin Cleary and Patti Vasquez of Pooka Entertainment shopped the book in Hollywood and are exec producing. Read More »

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Nick Wechsler Acquires Michael Koryta Novel ‘The Prophet’, ‘Magic Mike’ Scribe Reid Carolin To Adapt

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 31, 2012 @ 3:46pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Michael Koryta, Nick Wechsler, Reid Carolin, The Prophet
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Producer Nick Wechsler has acquired The Prophet, the upcoming Michael Koryta novel that will be published in August by Little, Brown and Company. Wechsler hasn’t yet set it up for financing, but he has already attached Reid Carolin to adapt it. Carolin wrote the script for Magic Mike, the upcoming Steven Soderbergh-directed male stripper pic that was hatched by Channing Tatum and Carolin, who are partners in Iron Horse Entertainment. Wechsler produced Magic Mike with Tatum, Carolin and Gregory Jacobs.

The Prophet is a tale of two distant brothers in a small Ohio town whose torment over the murder of their sister in their teens is compounded when another teenaged girl is killed. One of the brothers is determined to avenge that killing, even if it means committing murder himself. “We’ve been fans of Michael’s masterful writing for some time, and know that this powerful new novel is perfect for the screen,” Wechsler said. “We were drawn to its themes of family, faith and fear, all set against the backdrop of a gripping serial killer mystery. This story is a perfect mix of thrills, strong characters, and unbreakable bonds.” Read More »

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Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Cormac McCarthy Sells His First Spec Script

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday January 17, 2012 @ 4:44pm PSTTags: Cormac McCarthy, Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, Steve Schwartz, The Counselor
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: While Cormac McCarthy’s novels have been turned into No Country For Old Men, The Road and All the Pretty Horses, he’s left the film adaptations to others. McCarthy has surprised everybody by writing his first spec screenplay. Nick Wechsler, … Read More »

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TOLDJA! Warner Bros Acquires Stripper Pic ‘Magic Mike,’ Bares June 29 Release Date

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday October 27, 2011 @ 11:53am PDTTags: Adam Rodriguez, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Film Release Date, Gregory Jacobs, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Magic Mike, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Wechsler, Reid Carolin, Steven Soderbergh
Mike Fleming

As predicted here, Warner Bros completed its acquisition of domestic rights on the Steven Soderbergh-directed Magic Mike, which stars Alex Pettyfer and Channing Tatum in a Saturday Night Fever-type coming-of-age drama about a young exotic dancer who … Read More »

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Steven Soderbergh’s Stripper Movie ‘Magic Mike’ Gyrating Toward Warner Bros?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday October 19, 2011 @ 11:39am PDTTags: Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Glen Basner, Gregory Jacobs, Joe Manganiello, Magic Mike, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Wechsler, Reid Carolin, Steven Soderbergh, Warner Bros
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: While several studios are in the mix on the Steven Soderbergh-directed Magic Mike, I’m told that Warner Bros has emerged as the frontrunner to acquire domestic distribution rights and that a deal could be done by next week. The … Read More »

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‘White Collar’s Matt Bomer Joins Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Magic Mike’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday August 17, 2011 @ 4:01pm PDTTags: Alex Pettyfer, Andrew Niccol, Channing Tatum, Gregory Jacobs, Justin Timberlake, Magic Mike, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Wechsler, Reid Carolin, Steven Soderbergh
Mike Fleming

Matt Bomer, star of the USA series White Collar, has joined the ab-worthy cast of hunks who’ll play male strippers in Magic Mike, Steven Soderbergh’s next film. So far, Soderbergh has cast Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey. Magic Mike is a Saturday Night Fever-style coming of age story. … Read More »

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Open Road To Acquire U.S. Distribution On Stephenie Meyer’s ‘The Host’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday June 20, 2011 @ 11:00am PDTTags: Andrew Niccol, Bill Johnson, Clive Owen, Jason Statham, Jim Seibel, Nick Wechsler, Open Road, Paula Mae Schwartz, Rena Ronson, Robert De Niro, Saoirse Ronan, Stephenie Meyer, Steve Schwartz, The Host, Tom Ortenberg, Twilight Saga
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Open Road, the upstart distribution company formed by theater chains AMC and Regal, is making its second big acquisition. Tom Ortenberg’s company is acquiring domestic distribution rights to The Host, the Andrew Niccol-directed adaptation of Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer’s novel. I’m told that the there were at least three other distributors trying to get this and that the deal will be a seven-figure minimum guarantee, a healthy P&A commitment, and gross for participants that include the author.

Saoirse Ronan is set to play heroine Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls, parasites that invade human bodies, fuse to each person’s consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer. While Wanderer’s goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie’s memories and feelings that she is driven to reconnect with Melanie’s old life, which includes falling for Melanie’s boyfriend. The result is a complex, romantic and emotional human/alien love triangle. Nick Wechsler, Meyer, Paula Mae Schwartz and Steve Schwartz are producing. Inferno’s Marc Butan, Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson are exec producers and Roger Schwartz is co-producer. Read More »

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CBS Films Targets ‘American Assassin’ To Launch Mitch Rapp Franchise, Sets Ed Zwick To Direct

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday June 8, 2011 @ 6:11am PDTTags: Amy Baer, Antoine Fuqua, Ben Foster, Cameron Diaz, CBS Films, Chris Pine, Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Ed Zwick, Gerard Butler, Jason Statham, John Hillcoat, Less Moonves, Marshall Herskovitz, Matthew Fox, Nick Wechsler, Vince Flynn, Wolfgang Hammer
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: CBS Films has redrawn its plans to launch a film franchise based on the Vince Flynn novel series about CIA agent  and Mitch Rapp. Ed Zwick has come aboard to direct an adaptation of American Assassin, a bestseller published … Read More »

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Cannes: Andrew Niccol To Direct Saoirse Ronan In Stephenie Meyer’s ‘The Host’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 12, 2011 @ 1:20pm PDTTags: Andrew Dominik, Andrew Niccol, Bill Johnson, Brad Pitt, Cannes, Chuck Russell, Clive Owen, Jason Statham, Jim Seibel, Joe Carnahan, Liam Hemsworth, Liam Neeson, Marc Butan, Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, Robert De Niro, Roger Schwartz, Saoirse Ronan, Steve Schwartz
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Andrew Niccol has been set as the director of The Host, directing his scripted adaptation of the bestselling novel by Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer. The project, which is being shopped here at Cannes by Inferno Entertainment and producers Nick Wechsler and Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz, will star Saoirse Ronan.

After resisting overtures to sell the book, Meyer finally entrusted it with the producers, who gave her strong creative input. She chose Niccol originally because she was a fan of his film Gattaca and script for The Truman Show. While Niccol adapted the book into the current script, he exited to make the film Now, which he has completed with Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy starring. The producers went down the road with several directors, but talks with Niccol to return started heating up in recent weeks. Ronan ramped up interest in the film when she was set to star.

Ronan will play Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person’s consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. The story follows Melanie as she is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer, something of a legend because of all of the “hosts” she has attached to on numerous planets. Wanderer’s goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie’s memories and feelings that she is driven to reconnect with Melanie’s old life, which includes falling for Melanie’s boyfriend. The result is a complex, romantic and emotional human/alien love triangle. Read More »

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‘Twilight Saga’ Author Stephenie Meyer’s ‘The Host’ Lands Saoirse Ronan To Star

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday May 3, 2011 @ 10:45am PDTTags: Andrew Niccol, Bill Johnson, Inferno, Jim Seibel, Marc Butan, Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, Roger Schwartz, Saoirse Ronan, Stephenie Meyer, Steve Schwartz, The Host
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Saoirse Ronan has been set to star in The Host, the screen adaptation of the bestselling novel by Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer. Scripted by Andrew Niccol, the film figures to be one of the hot titles when Inferno launches sales at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival next week. Niccol, who was originally set to direct, might resurface as the filmmaker.

Ronan, the Oscar-nominated star of Atonement, The Lovely Bones and most recently Hanna, will play Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans putting up a fight against an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person’s consciousness and systematically erase their personalities. Melanie is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer, something of a legend because of all of the “hosts” she has attached to on numerous planets. Wanderer’s goal is to get Melanie to give up the remaining pockets of humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness. Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie’s memories and feelings, the alien is driven to reconnect with Melanie’s old life.

The concept is more of a visual challenge than Meyer’s Twilight Saga books, but one thing they plan is for Ronan to play both Melanie and Wanderer. Meyer’s book has an enormous fan base, and the author had long resisted offers to sell it. She finally made a deal two years ago with producers Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, who’d done the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road together. They deliberately developed the script outside the studio system, and invited the author to be very hands on in the adaptation. Read More »

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FilmNation Not Alone In Contracting Scarlett Fever

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday November 3, 2010 @ 10:14am PDTTags: American Film Market, Book-to-Movie, FilmNation, Glen Basner, Movie Deals, Movies, Nick Wechsler, Scarlett Johansson
Mike Fleming

The flood of AFM project packages has started (how many of them actually happen is a question for another day), and FilmNation has announced it will handle international sales for the Jonathan Glazer-directed Under the Skin. Scarlett Johansson has been attached to star in the science fiction film scripted by Walter Campbell and Glazer, the latter of whom directed Sexy Beast. She plays an alien on earth, disguised as a mesmerizing woman who uses her voracious sexuality to scour remote highways and desolate scenery to snare human prey. It’s based on a Michel Faber novel. Said FilmNation CEO Glen Basner: “We’re so excited to be working on this arrestingly original movie. How could we pass up the chance to work with a visionary director like Jonathan, especially when combined with the intriguing notion of Scarlett Johansson as a ruthless alien seductress?” Nick Wechsler is producing with James Wilson and Film4′s Tessa Ross is exec producing and the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen are also involved. Read More »

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