National Treasure director to make GREENPEACE origin film

Director Jon Turteltaub(National Treasure) is on board to bring the story of Bob Hunter and Rex Weyler, the founders of the Greenpeace movement, to the big screen.

Jerry and Janet Zucker will produce the pic along with Aurelius Films' Matthew Joynes and Jesse Kennedy, with the company financing development of the project. Turteltaub will also produce thorough his Junction Entertainment banner.

Joynes secured the organization's official cooperation, while acquiring the rights to two books that will shape the narrative: Weyler's Greenpeace: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World and Hunter's Warriors of the Rainbow: A Chronicle of the Greenpeace Movement.

Set primarily in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and told through the eyes of Hunter and Weyler, the controversial organization's charismatic founding members. The duo led an eccentric group of pacifists, ecologists, musicians, teachers, sailors, and scientists as they attempted -- often successfully -- to disrupt American and French nuclear bomb tests, Japanese and Russian whaling ships and Norwegian infant harp seal hunters. In the process, they inadvertently started a movement that is still going strong nearly four decades later

Janet Zucker explains how she envisions the film as large-canvas pic but with an environmental message:

We want to look at these unlikely heroes who became activists in spite of themselves. Jon likes to make a big adventure movies. And we've found that the best way to reach people's hearts and minds is through entertainment.

The Zuckers, are active in the stem cell research arena as well as several environmental causes. There isn't a writer attached to adapt yet the Greenpeace movie yet, but producers have had early discussions with Aaron Sorkin.

What do you think of the Turteltaub helmed and Zanuck produced GREENPEACE movie?

Source: Variety