Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson is set to star in the Watergate drama “Felt,” which will be directed by “Concussion” filmmaker Peter Landesman, it was announced Tuesday.
“Felt” is a taut spy thriller centering on “Deep Throat,” the pseudonym given to the notorious whistleblower for one of the greatest scandals of all time — Watergate. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much public curiosity and speculation for more than 30 years.
In 2005, special agent Mark Felt (Neeson) shockingly revealed himself as the tipster. This unbelievable true story chronicles the personal and professional life of the brilliant and uncompromising Felt, who risked and ultimately sacrificed everything — his family, his career, his freedom — in the name of justice.
MadRiver Pictures will finance and produce “Felt” alongside Scott Free Productions, Playtone and Cara Films.
The film is based on a script by Landesman, who will also produce along with Ridley Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan, Christopher Woodrow and Jay Roach. Steven Shareshian and Michael Schaefer will executive produce alongside Michael Bassick and Steven Marshall.
Production is slated to start in March, and the producers are already assembling the rest of the cast.
This will be the second collaboration between Landesman and the Scotts following Sony’s football drama “Concussion,” which stars Will Smith and debuts next week at AFI Fest before opening in theaters on Christmas Day.
CAA arranged the financing for “Felt” and will introduce the project to domestic distributors at AFM. Sierra/Affinity will handle the foreign rights. Neeson and Landesman are both represented by CAA.