HBO moves ahead with Bernie Madoff flick Wizard of Lies

After being in the works for four years over at HBO, the Bernie Madoff movie WIZARD OF LIES appears to finally be a go for the cable network. With Robert De Niro already attached to play the convicted financier who took down billions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme, Michelle Pfeiffer has now joined the cast to play Madoff's wife Ruth while Alessandro Nivola will be taking on the role of his older son Mark.

Barry Levinson is now lined up to direct, having already turned out stellar work for HBO in the past, helming the Jack Kevorkian film YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, which scored Al Pacino an Emmy.

Based on Diana Henriques' book of the same name, which HBO optioned back in 2011, and using Laurie Sandell's Truth and Consequences as a secondary source, the film is set to expose the behind the scenes workings of Madoff's Ponzi scheme, including the aftermath of what it did to both his victims and his family.

Numerous writers have taken a crack at getting the story just right for HBO, and it would be safe to assume they've finally got a handle on it to make everyone comfortable enough to move forward. HBO has been fantastic with this type of material in their hands before, so anticipating the finished film doesn't seem like a foolish move one bit.

Source: Deadline

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