In the wake of the $20 million opening weekend for the film based on his Moneyball, author Michael Lewis is taking a much more active role in the what could be the next film based on one of his books.
Lewis has been tapped by Warner Bros. to write a script based on Liar’s Poker, his classic 1989 account of working as a bond trader at Salomon Brothers in the go-go ’80s. “I’m going to spend the next two months doing that,” Lewis tells The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition, John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Crazy, Stupid, Love) have come aboard to direct the film. Bill Gerber is producing and Courtenay Valenti is overseeing the film for Warners.
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Lewis, the author of several nonfiction bestsellers, is a hot commodity in Hollywood following the success of The Blind Side and Moneyball. Liar’s Poker, Lewis’ first book, has been in development at Warners since the early 1990s. The property picked up momentum recently as Lewis’ star has risen and the economic crisis has thrust the inner workings of Wall Street into the public consciousness.
Liar’s Poker isn’t the only Lewis book in development. The Big Short, based on his 2010 book about the 2008 financial crisis, is being developed at Paramount, with Moneyball star Brad Pitt and his Plan B shingle attached to produce.
Lewis also scripted an untitled drama pilot at HBO, as well as other projects for Universal and Fox. He also has written TV pilots for CBS and TNT.
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Lewis’ involvement on Liar’s Poker comes after the project has languished for years at Warners. Asked about the state of a possible film in 2009, Lewis said, “Dead, I think. Completely dead.”
Email: Andyblewis@gmail.com, Matthew.Belloni@thr.com
