Director Doug Liman (SWINGERS, GO) and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (PRECIOUS) are teaming to re-create the 1971 Attica state prison uprising.
The Attica Prison riot was a four day confrontation between prisoners and guards. Liman’s father, Arthur Liman, served as chief counsel to the New York State Special Commission on Attica Prison and co-authored the commission’s report chastising Nelson Rockefeller and prison authorities for the the riot, in which 32 inmates and 10 hostages were killed, 39 of them in an assault by state police officers.
Recently Liman visited Attica with Fletcher. He described his experience on his blog, “The tour was astounding. We followed the steps the prisoners took as they overwhelmed the guards; saw the radiators they ripped off the walls and the gates they smashed open with them. We left with so many stories and names and contacts of people who were there to continue our research.”
Liman also will produce ATTICA with David Bartis under their production company Hypnotic, along with Elliot Abbott (AWAKENINGS, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN), who is financing the project. Liman collaborator Avrum Ludwig will also produce.
As a fan of Liman’s work, I am certainly looking forward to seeing the development of this project. Are you guys ready to get Liman and Fletcher’s perspective on the prison riot?
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