{HEAT METER} Massively Buzzed-About JFK Spec “Mayday 109” Rounds Out Final List Of Territories
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Out from Heretic Management’s Jeff Portnoy and Brio Entertainment’s Brehan Fitzgerald and Mia Chang, hot spec MAYDAY 109 has been the prime talking point of the week. The hot read is now settling into an undoubtedly impressive twenty-six territories, which is no small feat by any means. The period script, penned by Evan Kilgore and Samuel Franco, tells the story of how a young John F. Kennedy struggled to save the crew of his PT Boat after it was sunk by a Japanese warship during World War II.
The reported territories are as follows:
- Into Fox Searchlight, Odd Lot and FilmNation via Brett Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment.
- Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way teamed with RatPac to take it into Warner Bros.
- Rickard Pictures and Flynn Picture Co. teamed to take the project into Studio 8 and New Line Cinema, with Flynn also bringing the project into TriStar.
- Basil Iwanyk’s Thunder Road brought the project to Disney and Sony.
- Ridley Scott’s Scott Free brought it into Fox and New Regency.
- Captivate Entertainment into Focus Features and Lionsgate.
- Parkes+MacDonald into DreamWorks
- Kevin Bannerman into Amazon Studios.
- Mayhem Entertainment into both MGM and Participant
- Ian Bryce Productions into Paramount
- StarThrower Entertainment took the spec into Fox 2000.
- Working Title into Universal
- Grey Matter Productions brought the script into STX
Now, sources have confirmed that the spec is into Legendary and EuropaCorp via Robert Zemeckis‘ shingle ImageMovers, GK Films (Argo) and Bold Films (Nightcrawler, Whiplash) by way of Trip Vinson, and that McG‘s banner Wonderland Sound & Vision took the project into Annapurna Pictures (Foxcatcher, Her).
This brings the number of territories up to twenty-six, which I’m told will be final. The spec’s had a successful run out of the gate, dominating the market this week and and building a incredible amount of buzz throughout town.
Kilgore, a 2011 Nicholl Fellowship honoree, is known for writing the critically successful action/thriller novels Who is Shayla Hacker, The Children of Black Valley, and Made in China. This past February Kilgore released his fourth novel, The Last March of Nine, to rave reviews. As a screenwriter, Kilgore is known for writing the thriller Butterflies of Bill Baker, which starred Nashville‘s Will Chase and The Affair‘s Marin Hinkle.
Franco executive produced 2014’s Affluenza, next set to produce the historical adaptation Six Minutes To Freedom, based on the book by Kurt Muse and John Gilstrap.
Spec is now into:
Appian Way/RatPac Entertainment into Warner Bros.
Captivate Entertainment into Focus Features
Captivate Entertainment into Lionsgate
Flynn Picture Co. into TriStar
Grey Matter Entertainment into STX
Ian Bryce Productions into Paramount
ImageMovers into EuropaCorp
ImageMovers into Legendary
Kevin Bannerman into Amazon Studios
Mayhem Entertainment into MGM
Mayhem Entertainment intoParticipant
Parkes+MacDonald into DreamWorks
RatPac Entertainment into FilmNation
RatPac Entertainment into into Fox Searchlight
RatPac Entertainment into into Odd Lot
Rickard Pictures/Flynn Picture Co. into New Line Cinema
Rickard Pictures/Flynn Picture Co. into Studio 8
Scott Free into Fox
Scott Free into New Regency
StarThrower Entertainment into Fox 2000
Thunder Road into Disney
Thunder Road into Sony
Trip Vinson into Bold Films
Trip Vinson into GK Films
Wonderland Sound & Vision into Annapurna Pictures
Working Title into Universal
SEE THE ORIGINAL SPEC LISTING HERE!
Stay tuned for more info on this project as it develops!
