Oceanside Media has optioned “The Claim,” a mystery thriller penned by Academy Award-winning “La La Land” writer and director Damien Chazelle.
The screenplay, a 2010 Black List script, follows a single father trying to figure out what happened to his kidnapped daughter while fighting another couple who insist the child is rightfully theirs. Chazelle is not attached to direct the project.
Oceanside Founder and Executive Chairman Scott Clayton will produce the movie alongside Route One Entertainment’s Russell Levine and Leon Clarance of Motion Picture Capital. Motion Picture Capital will fully finance the film, which is slated to begin production this year.
A major U.S. distributor is in talks to release “The Claim” in 2018.
Chazelle is coming off a Best Director win at the Academy Awards for “La La Land,” which also delivered a Best Actress statuette to star Emma Stone. The director is reuniting with the musical’s other lead, Ryan Gosling, for a Universal Neil Armstrong biopic, “First Man,” set to hit theaters Oct. 12, 2018.
“I am excited to be partnering with Route One and Motion Picture Capital to produce this amazing project from Damien Chazelle,” Clayton said in a statement. “He has written a mesmerizing and bone-chilling thriller confirming his talent as a truly versatile screenwriter. We look forward to bringing this haunting film to audiences around the world.”
“‘The Claim’ is an original and tightly written thriller,” Clarence said in the statement. “I’m sure the market will enjoy Damien’s visceral approach to the genre. We are also very excited to partner with Scott and Russell on this new project, and hope to start production later this year.”
“We’ve been looking for just the right partners to join us in making ‘The Claim’ and we’ve got them in Oceanside and MPC,” Levine said in the statement. “This is one of Damien’s best scripts and now we have a great team to bring it home.”
Jay Stern and Chip Diggins are also producers on “The Claim,” which Diggins first introduced to Route One. Chris Lytton and Motion Picture Capital’s Laure Vaysse will serve as executive producers, while Route One’s Sophia Dilley will co-produce.