Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment Developing Film Based on Podcast RACHEL MADDOW PRESENTS: ULTRA
Amblin Entertainment is taking on a new film project based on the podcast Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra. Amblin has optioned film rights to the podcast from MSNBC and Maddow’s production company Surprise Inside. Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the film for Amblin, along with Maddow and Mike Yarvitz on behalf of Surprise Inside.
As of right now Spielberg will just produce the film, with the director job open, but insiders add that his longtime collaborator Tony Kushner (who will also executive produce) and Danny Strong are in talks to co-write.
“Ultra, a production of MSNBC and NBC News, is an eight-episode podcast series that examines the history of a seditious plot to undermine U.S. democracy 80 years ago, and the wild fight in and out of the courtroom to try to stop it.”
Maddow had been deciding in recent years which of her projects to adapt, and she landed on Ultra, which she is writing and hosting. In recent months, she began meeting with several high-profile producers interested in adapting the show but ultimately the feature pitch made by Amblin, Spielberg and company was hard to pass up. The pitch became even sweeter with Kushner’s and Strong’s interest.
I look forward to checking this out. What do you think?
via: Deadline