J.J. Abrams Producing Heist Film

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=53765

Source: Variety
March 17, 2009


Paramount has bought film rights to an upcoming Wired magazine article about a band of Italian diamond thieves. Variety says J.J. Abrams is producing through his Bad Robot production company.

Joshua Davis, who has turned a number of his Wired articles into feature projects, wrote the story for the April issue of the magazine.

The article chronicles the crime thought to have been carried out by Leonardo Notarbartolo, who was arrested in February 2003 for heading a ring of Italian thieves. They were accused of breaking into a seemingly impenetrable vault beneath the Antwerp Diamond Center and making off with at least $100 million in loot that's never been found.

Based on circumstantial evidence, Notarbartolo was sentenced to 10 years; he was released from a Belgium prison this week.

Potentially awesome, I hope JJ directs and casts authentically.

 

[Gilpesh]

I love me some Heist films. And JJ Abrams has made a few movies that I have enjoyed.... I hope to count this among them.

I mean, how can you go wrong in a Heist film where they steal something that was un-stealable and then get away at the end... well, sorta.

 

[Gotham]

The actual story on Wire's official site is... incredible. So cinematic.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

My guess is this ends up being Abrams' directorial follow-up to Star Trek.

 

[Threshold]

It's J.J. so I'm in!

 

[GhostPoet]

Wow...he seems to have diverse taste. From full on Sci-Fi to a down to earth Heist flick. I normally wait for stuff like this to come out on dvd, but if he's making it...I'll have to go see it just to see how he works this out.

 

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66243

Field of Dreams' Robinson Penning J.J. Abrams Heist Film

Source: Heat Vision
May 20, 2010


Phil Alden Robinson, who wrote and directed Field of Dreams, will write the script for J.J. Abrams' untitled heist project at Paramount Pictures. The film will be based on a Wired magazine article titled "The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist," by Joshua Davis.

The article chronicles the crime thought to have been carried out by Leonardo Notarbartolo, who was arrested in February 2003 for heading a ring of Italian thieves. They were accused of breaking into a seemingly impenetrable vault beneath the Antwerp Diamond Center and making off with at least $100 million in loot that's never been found.

Abrams is producing via his Bad Robot banner along with Circle of Confusion.

Robinson's credits also include the 1992 Robert Redford thriller Sneakers.