WB vs Sony – Two Movies About Real-Life Colombian Hostage Rescue

Warner Bros will make an untitled action thriller about last summer’s real-life hostage rescue in the Colombian jungle.

In July, 15 prisoners were freed by undercover forces who tricked the captors, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), into thinking they were moving the hostages to another location.

The film will focus on Operacion Jaque, a five-year plan to locate and rescue three Americans who had been captured in 2003 by Colombian guerilla group FARC. The covert effort involved numerous governments, diplomats and intelligence services and a vast network of spies, military advisers and soldiers plus high-tech surveillance measures.

New York Times Magazine’s foreign correspondent Peter Landesman will script the drama.

“We’re fed so many post-9/11 movies filled with political ambiguity, but this story is unequivocally about good vs. evil, with a happy ending,” Landesman said.

Warner Bros becomes the second major studio to put a rescue film in development. The rival is Sony’s “Operation Checkmate,” which also explores the same event, scripted by Jessica Postigo, with Simon Brand to direct.

“RocknRolla” Is Very English!

“RocknRolla,” Guy Ritchie’s new movie is searching for a new distributor.

RocknRolla

The producer of Guy Ritchie’s upcoming gangster film “RocknRolla” Joel Silver has been screening the movie for rival studios Lionsgate and Sony in the hope that they will take it away from Warner Bros., according to the Los Angeles Times.

Alan Horn, chief operating officer of Warner Bros, said that he would honour a small-scale release agreement for “RocknRolla,” even though he doubted its commercial appeal.

“I think it’s a well-made picture, but while it’s funny in spots, it’s very English. [!] I don’t think it’s broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we’ll honour, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to,” Horn said.

He added that he would be open to selling the film to a rival if the right offer came along:

“If Joel is thinking there is someone out there willing to spend twice as much money as we’re willing to, I’m sure he will pursue that.”

RocknRolla’s scheduled UK release date is September 5, 2008. US release is expected in October.