Dennis Lehane’s novels have provided Hollywood with plenty of great stories, so it only makes sense that the novelist get recruited to write directly for the business. The Mystic River writer has been hired to write Silk Road for 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment.
Silk Road will be based on Joshua Davis’ upcoming Epic Magazine story about the site, which was recently shut down by the FBI. You could buy various illegal items like drugs and sell services like contract killings. The film will center on a boy who was arrested for putting hits on clients up on the site.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are producing with Davis and Joshuah Bearman. Bearman is best known as the writer behind the article that inspired Ben Affleck’s Argo.
Lehane’s Live By Night is currently being adapted by Affleck, who directed Gone Baby Gone, another Lehane adaptation. The author has also written the screenplay to Animal Rescue, which is also being produced by Chernin and released by Fox Searchlight.
Animal Rescue is set for release next year and stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace.