El Chapo Film In Development at Sony

By Josh Tarpley

El Chapo is one of the most intriguing figures in the criminal world. Apart from his criminal enterprise as one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, El Chapo found himself in the headlines several times for breaking out of prison (leading to massive manhunts). This has lead to many books and now two films in development based on his exploits.

​Click beyond the jump to read about Sony’s attempt to capture this man on film. ​

Though the book hasn’t even hit store shelves, Sony Pictures is already set to acquire “Hunting El Chapo: The Thrilling Inside Story of the American Lawman Who Captures the World’s Most-Wanted Drug Lord” by Cole Merrell and Douglas Century. Based on the title, the story of the film would follow the manhunt for the drug lord, leading up to his most recent capture in January 2016.

Whether it be documentaries like “Cartel Land,” television series like “Narcos” or Denis Villeneuve's well received “Sicario,” this is a subject and a world that lends itself well to dramatic storytelling. This is actually the second El Chapo movie in development. Fox is trying to court Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Cartel,” which will be based on a fictional retelling of the events. Sony looks to be taking on the more “real life story” approach, adapting the non-fiction book by Merrell and Century.

3 Arts, the production company behind 2016’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” and 2014’s “Unbroken,” will be making the film, to give you an idea of what to expect. The studio definitely want to continue the mild success they found with “13 Hours,” which did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Mixing. Though there may be awards potential for “Hunting El Chapo,” let’s keep in mind they are looking to tap Michael Bay to direct, so maybe don’t look for more than some top notch sound design.

What do you guys think? Are you more excited for the fictitious El Chapo movie possibly from Ridley Scott or Sony’s version from possible director Michael Bay? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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You can follow Josh and hear more of his thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter at @JoshTarpley7