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The Mark Gordon Company, which is behind Aaron Sorkin’s awards-season pic Molly’s Game based on Molly Bloom’s memoir, has just acquired feature film rights to All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderer’s Row.
The upcoming book, to be published next January by Little, Brown and Company, is penned by bestselling author James Patterson and Alex Abramovich, with Mike Harvkey, based on their investigative reporting. It will dissect the story of Hernandez, the former all-star tight end for the New England Patriots who was convicted of murder in 2015, later indicted but acquitted of a second murder, and who committed suicide in his prison cell last year.
Patterson will executive produce the movie, with Mark Gordon Company’s Mark Gordon and Matt Jackson producing alongside Bill Robinson and Leopoldo Gout. Josh Phillips and Joanne Lee will oversee for MGC.
“The real, shocking events that led to Aaron Hernandez’s harrowing fall from NFL stardom gripped America’s attention and imprinted itself on today’s cultural zeitgeist,” said Gordon in announcing the deal. “James is unmatched in his storytelling and reporting talents, and he chronicles this story with incredible insight and nuance. There is no other person with whom to collaborate to bring this timely film to life.”
In September, Showtime acquired the rights to The President Is Missing, the upcoming thriller novel by Patterson and President Bill Clinton. It will be developed as a TV series.
Upcoming projects from MGC’s film unit include The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
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