'American Psycho' Producers to Take on 'The Vatican Connection'

Chris Hanley (American Psycho), John Penotti (Awake), Jeff Most (The Crow) and Bob DeBrino (Find Me Guilty) are set to produce an adaptation of Richard Hammer's controversial book The Vatican Connection. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps producer Edward Pressman (American Psycho) will be an executive producer on the project.

Hammer, a former New York Times journalist, wrote the book in the early Eighties based on rumors surrounding the death of Pope John Paul I and alleged corruption in the Vatican involving the Mafia and the Freemasons. The producers have re-optioned the book and plan to spin it into a thriller.

"It is great timing to re-option and produce this fantastic controversial book,” said DeBrino. “Originally there was too much uproar surrounding the story line to get going properly, but what with the proven success from recent Vatican movies, like The Da Vinci Code, and the fact that we now have a producing dream team behind this project, the time is now to make this finally happen, and fast.”

Hanley of Muse Productions most recently produced 360 and The Killer Inside Me. Penotti of GreeneStreet Films recently produced Tenderness and Violet & Daisy. Most of Jeff Most Productions produced The Tomb and The Crow: Wicked Prayer.

Pressman recently produced The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.