Wigutow, Jarecki in 'Harm' way for HBO

HBO may be going to war again. Screenwriter Jesse Wigutow and director Eugene Jarecki ("Why We Fight") have signed deals to develop the feature "Irreparable Harm" for HBO Films. Jarecki also will executive produce along with Paula Weinstein of Spring Creek Prods. Palak Patel of Spring Creek brought the project to HBO.

The film's true story details the personal and publishing history of Frank Snepp, the CIA's chief strategy analyst in Saigon during the evacuation of American troops from Vietnam in 1975.

In 1999, Snepp wrote another book about the fallout from "Decent Interval" — the CIA and federal government's attempts to suppress his book, block royalty payments and vet all subsequent publishing — called "Irreparable Harm: A Firsthand Account of How One Agent Took on the CIA in an Epic Battle Over Free Speech." (Snepp is now a producer at KNBC-TV Los Angeles.)

No theatrical release is currently planned for the project, if made.

Jarecki is repped by CAA. Wigutow is repped by UTA and Benderspink. (partialdiff)