SPEC. **TRACKINGB EARLY EXCLUSIVE – SOLD! UPDATED – JACK CHIMES IN — SEE COMMENTS**
**HEARING THIS SOLD FOR MID SIX AGAINST HIGH SIX**
**WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS HAS SOLD TO UNIVERSAL WITH STUBER PRODUCING… THERE WERE REPORTEDLY FIVE OFFERS RECEIVED FOR THE PROJECT**
**ORIGINAL INTO SONY… STUBER INTO UNIVERSAL… DIRECTORS AND TALENT RUMORED TO BE CIRCLING**
**HEARING THIS IS JUST GOING OUT, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN SLIPPED TO LORENZO DIBONAVENTURA OVER THE WEEKEND WHO TOOK IT TO PARAMOUNT THIS MORNING TO CONSIDER AS A JACK RYAN MOVIE.**
SAFE HOUSE
Representation: David Boxerbaum (APA) & Adam Kolbrenner (Madhouse Entertainment)
Written by: David Guggenheim
In the vein of TRAINING DAY meets COLLATERAL. After a CIA safe house is attacked, the only surviving agent must find a way to transport a dangerous prisoner to a second safe house, outmaneuvering various forces that want them both dead.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Heard on another board that the Lorenzo/Paramount/Jack Ryan thing is false.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
hearing that it was what was discussed and is still being discussed, but is just not the only thing Par is considering it for… rather just one way of doing it…
February 9th, 2010 at 12:26 am
This is like a dance off!!!
The Insider takes it in the end by pulling out the robot on Scoggins.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:47 am
Guggenheim fired “Managment” and moved to Madhouse? When did that happen?
February 9th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
5 offers. wow, very impressive! hope this is a sign of good things to come with regards to the market
February 9th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Way to Go!! Mid Six though? I wonder what the opening offer was.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
I haven’t read the script. Why did it get multiple/large offers? Just wondering what made it “hot”. Concept doesn’t sound all that unique… did he knock the execution out of the park?
February 9th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Studios are looking for stuff like this. Contained/propulsive/not prohibitively expensive actioners. Guggenheim’s not a bad writer, so this was probably a good investment for a studio.
February 10th, 2010 at 1:20 am
The Deal per Variety:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014934.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1
February 10th, 2010 at 1:28 am
If this is the same guy who wrote “RE-ENTRY” then yes, he deserves this sale. Definitely a top-notch action writer. Always dug his work.
Regardless, kudos.
Hey, looks like the spec market has a pulse after all. 2010 baby!
February 10th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Damn, I was hoping to remake 3 Days of the Condor.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
I think ‘witness escort movies’ should be its own genre at this point. This one’s pretty good. The script is very ‘in the know’ with the FBI dialogue, so it feels like you’re learning lingo. The dynamic isn’t too unique between the two leads (kinda wish there was more of a dichotomy between them — see ‘Midnight Run’) but there’s some cool setpieces. The fun is there, and it’s no surprise this was picked up. Expect a few rewrites.
Also, this also has one of the more ‘on the nose’ make-the-hero-likable immediately-intros that I’ve read recently. He does everything but read to the blind in the beginning. Still, I get the necessity of that – esp since this piece moves quick.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Wanted to add – there were some murmurs early on about this getting done @ Paramount for a potential Jack Ryan vehicle, and this does feel like an accessible installment in that franchise. Although there’s some detailed FBI-speak in the dialogue, it’s not a super-complicated narrative and the lead is basically described as Chris Pine. It would be a great way to introduce a new audience to a dense series of films. Since it’s set up at Uni, that’s not gonna happen, so this will probably end up being more like a less-cartoony ‘Transporter’-type movie w/ someone like Ryan Reynolds or Channing Tatum in the escort role. The second lead is actually perfect for a Clooney. Like I’ve said before — castability is everything, and this one has multiple options.
February 10th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Interesting. Yes, it does seem that it’s a genre unto itself. There’s been a few other recent efforts which I’ve read, that were good in concept, but not nessecarily well executed.
One such title was “The Good Bad and The Undead” a western take on the genre which saw two bounty hunters transporting a dangerous confederate fugative across the country during the Civil War. However they soon approach a seemingly deserted and “very” haunted ghost town, and must work together in order to survive.
It was a cool script, and I believe it went wide and into a few territories, but I don’t think it sold. It would be interesting to see how it would fare in todays market, given the current trends.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
That sounds bad-ass to me — but that genre hybrid stuff is a tricky animal. Studios are scared as hell of those mutations without a property backbone. ‘Jonah Hex’ got made because it was a DC comic book. Same with ‘Priest’, it was an existing property that get buyers excited.
As far as ‘escort’ flicks go — they owe a lot to two films: ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘The Gauntlet’ (forgive me if there are earlier examples). Escort movies are great for budget-concious studios. Contained. Kinetic. Tense. Usually cheap. ‘Safe House’ isn’t an expensive movie. Maybe 30-40 mil, w/ a name lead. Evocative title. It’s got shades of ‘Bourne’, ‘24′, ‘Transporter’ — 300 thou (which I’m estimating was the purchase price) isn’t a bad investment for Uni who finds themselves w/o a ‘Bourne’ right now.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Harriet Tubman with a sub-machine gun.
Make it happen.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:17 am
i just finished… really liked it too… suspenseful, fast ride with a likable lead that you totally root for… could see Clooney in the 2nd role too, Jack — nice suggestion…
February 11th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Doubt Clooney would jump for this. He seems more interested in making films that “say something”, as opposed to a straight up genre/actioner, that you know, may actually make some money.
That’s also not to imply Safe House is devoid of any themes – it’s not. I’ve read it and I can totally see why it sold. A clean, slick actioner.
I always thought a younger Clooney would have been perfect for the role of Sam Fischer, from the Tom Clancy vid-game – SPLINTER CELL. If you play the game, it’s like the game designers modelled him straight off of Clooney.