New Madoff Biography Optioned for HBO Movie (Exclusive)

HBO is learning even more about Bernie Madoff.

The pay cable network has optioned Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family by Laurie Sandell. The book will serve as a source material adjunct to the Diane Henriques’ New York Times best-selling book The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust on which a previously-announced Madoff movie is based.

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The project, which Tribeca Productions is producing with its principals Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal as executive producers, centers on the story of Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. John Burnham Schwartz (Reservation Road) signed on to pen the script, with De Niro attached to star as the disgraced financier.

VIDEO: Bernie Madoff’s Son, Wife Open Up to ’60 Minutes’

The latest news comes mere days after the newly released book, an authorized family biography with the cooperation of the convicted Wall Street Ponzi-schemer’s son Andrew, was peddeled by Andrew and his mother Ruth on CBS’ 60 Minutes. While the episode, which featured exclusive interviews with Andrew and Ruth, drew particularly impressive ratings, the book appears to be underperforming.

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In recent years, HBO has found critical success with ripped-from-the-headlines movies. Its Too Big to Fail generated 11 Emmy nominations this year and its 2008 movie Recount, about the controversial 2000 presidential election, won the statue for best made for TV movie. 

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose

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