Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder are entering the world of chess with A24 for their next project. According to the Hollywood Reporter, A24 won the rights to Checkmate, a feature package based on a book proposal from author Ben Mezrich about a notorious chess cheating scandal.
If the deals close, it’s a reunion for Fielder and Stone, who collaborated on Showtime’s The Curse. Fielder is attached to direct, with Stone and husband Dave McCary producing via their Fruit Tree banner.
Mezrich is a best-selling author whose books were adapted into the feature films The Social Network and Dumb Money. THR’s report says the book deal is “closing or has closed” while talent deals are still being worked out.
What to Expect in Checkmate?
Mezrich’s Checkmate will depict the battle between Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, the “young bad boy of chess.” Niemann was accused of cheating in one of their head-to-head matchups, leading to one of chess’ biggest scandals. Per the package (via THR), ” the story is not only about the rivalry and the scandal, but the macro backdrop is the rise of a billion-dollar chess industry and so-called ‘collision of tradition and innovation’ in the game.”
According to the report, multiple studios tried to win the rights to the proposal, with different talent and producers attached and sent out to the studios and streamers. Amazon’s package included director Ron Howard and writer Alex Convery. David Heyman, a producer on the Harry Potter series, was involved with a package that went to Warner Bros. Finally, Apple and Netflix had Taron Egerton attached to star.
Ultimately, A24 won Mezrich’s proposal in a seven-figure deal.
