With “Alien: Covenant” two months away from release, director Ridley Scott is close to signing on for his next project: “All The Money In The World,” a true-story drama about the kidnapping of famed oil tycoon John Paul Getty’s grandson, J.P. Getty III.
The project, which is being produced and financed by Imperative Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures, is set to start filming in Italy in May, shortly after the release of “Alien: Covenant.” Written by David Scarpa, the film follows the younger Getty’s mother, Gail Harris, as she tries to convince the wealthy patriarch of the Getty family to pay the ransom to get her son back.
Scott is also pursuing Natalie Portman, who recently earned an Oscar nomination for her lead performance in the biopic “Jackie,” to play Harris.
Scott will produce via his Scott Free banner alongside Mark Huffam and Kevin Walsh. Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas will produce for Imperative with Quentin Curtis and Chris Clark. David Beaubaire will oversee for Sony.
Other projects on Scott’s to-do list include “Blade Runner 2049,” the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to Scott’s seminal sci-fi film which Scott is producing. He is also attached to direct “The Cartel,” an adaptation of Don Winslow’s novel about the Mexican drug cartel wars.