Doug Liman will direct "Attica," an insider’s view of the 1971 Attica state prison rebellion, from a script by Geoffrey Fletcher, the Oscar-nominated writer of "Precious: From the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire."
Liman and David Bartis will produce the movie under their Hypnotic production banner, along with Elliot Abbott and Avrum Ludwig.
Liman’s father, Arthur Liman, was chief counsel to the New York State Special Commission on Attica Prison and co-author of the commission’s report chastising then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and prison authorities for their role in the riot. During the riot, 32 inmates and 10 hostages were killed, 39 of them in an assault by state police officers.
“My father’s report literally reads like a page-turner,” Liman said in a statement. “It is filled with stories of guards and prisoners from vastly different backgrounds learning to trust each other in the face of real human tragedy.”
“Working with a remarkable director in Doug Liman whose family history binds him personally to this project, I hope to create opportunities for re-examination of this dramatic crossroad in our nation’s history while contributing to the current dialogue on the value of protecting everyone’s rights," Fletcher said in a statement. "Precious" was his first screenplay.
Liman has directed movies including "Swingers" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." He also directed "The Bourne Identity" and was executive producer on "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Bourne Supremacy." His upcoming "Fair Game," starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, premiered at January’s Sundance Film Festival.
