Mood producer, Bonafide Films, has secured the rights to Jonathan Freedland’s non-fiction bestseller, The Escape Artist, and has brought BAFTA winning screenwriter, Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice, Your Honour, Silk), on board to adapt.
The Escape Artist is the true story of how, Rudolf Vrba, a nineteen year old Slovakian Jew, along with fellow inmate Fred Wetzler, escaped from Auschwitz to warn the world about the Holocaust. Their report led to the saving of 200,000 Budapest Jews from immediate deportation to Auschwitz.
Moffat will adapt Freedland’s book as a high-end limited series.
Moffat said: “Jonathan Freedland’s conclusion that Rudolf Vrba deserves to “stand alongside Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler and Primo Levi in the first rank of stories that define the Shoah,” is hard to argue with. It’s a great privilege to be asked to adapt this profoundly moving work”
Freedland said: “After the war, Rudolf Vrba stood out for his movie star charisma and the extraordinary tale he had to tell. It seems right that his story will now be brought to the screen by a team as dedicated and talented as Margery Bone and Peter Moffat. I’m thrilled to work with them to bring The Escape Artist to an even wider audience.”
Bonafide founder Margery Bone said: “We are thrilled to be working again with the immense talent that is Peter Moffat on this unique and important story. To bring Jonathan Freedland’s brilliant and meticulously researched book to the screen is an honour for all of us.”
Executive Producers are Peter Moffat, Bob Bookman, Jonathan Freedland, Jonny Geller, Margery Bone, Tom Dunbar and Zander Levy. Jonathan Freedland is represented by Jonny Geller from Curtis Brown and Peter Moffat is represented by Charles Walker at United Agents. Nick Marston negotiated the film and TV rights for the book on behalf of Curtis Brown and James Jackson of JL Media on behalf of Bonafide.
Jon Creamer
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