Jake Gyllenhaal & Daniel Espinosa board The Anarchists vs ISIS
Ninestories’ Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker, in association with Bold Films, have optioned Seth Harp’s Rolling Stone piece The Anarchists vs ISIS. Daniel Espinosa is set to direct the film adaptation, and will produce under his newly-formed production banner BOZI alongside Ninestories’ producers Gyllenhaal and Marker. Bold Films’ Chairman Michel Litvak will also produce and CEO Gary Michael Walters will executive produce. Gyllenhaal is expected to star. This marks the re-teaming of Gyllenhaal and Espinosa, who recently collaborated on Sony’s sci-fi thriller Life, in theaters this Friday.
The Rolling Stone article, written by Seth Harp, tells the true story of a ragtag team of American volunteers, socialists and outcasts, who are fighting alongside the Kurdish militia known as the YPG to beat ISIS in Syria and establish an anarchist collective amid the rubble of war.
Producer Riva Marker said, “Jake and I are thrilled to partner with Daniel Espinosa on Seth Harp’s daring story. Thematically, we’re often attracted to material about the search for identity, especially in a world where it’s become easier to feel less and less connected. Seth’s story is about people who abandon everything that’s familiar as a means to connect in the most brutal of circumstances.” Marker continued, “Daniel is wonderfully collaborative and so passionate about this material. We are eager to start working with a screenwriter together.”
Bold Films’ Chairman Michel Litvak added, “In a very short time under the leadership of Jake and Riva, Ninestories has become an incredibly exciting production company. Their vision for fresh and provocative material coupled with brilliant filmmakers like Daniel Espinosa aligns perfectly with Bold’s mandate.”
The deal was negotiated by Bloom Hergott on behalf of Ninestories and Gyllenhaal, by WME on behalf of Ninestories, Gyllenhaal and Espinosa and by UTA on behalf of Alex Jacobs at Elyse Cheney Associates for Seth Harp. Espinosa is repped by WME and Shelley Browning of Magnolia Entertainment.
