As negotiations with Columbia Pictures wrap up, multiple award-winning hyphenate Paul Haggis is adding another project to his plate: "Against All Enemies," based on former counterterrorism agent Richard A. Clarke’s best-selling memoir.
According to the trades, Haggis — who weeks ago lost his bid for Best Director but won Best Screenplay and Best Pic for "Crash" — will be producing and directing the adaptation, which will be written by young scribe James Vanderbilt ("The Rundown," "Zodiac"). Busy Haggis is also currently working on the script for war drama "Death and Dishonor," so it’s unclear which high-profile political flick will be next.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
"Based on Richard A. Clarke’s best-selling memoir, "Enemies" chronicles how the Bush administration handled the al-Qaida threat before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Clarke, a former U.S. terrorism czar, offers the ultimate insider’s account into the nation’s security apparatus, featuring a cast of power brokers that includes President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Clarke.
The book was published by Free Press in March 2004 and hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list, fueling intense criticism over the administration’s security failures and its decision to go to war with Iraq.
John Calley is producing through his Sony-based shingle, while Len Sherman is executive producing. Haggis’ manager Larry Becsey will serve in an as-yet-determined producer’s capacity."
Haggis has won numerous nominations and awards for his writing talents, including an Oscar nod for "Million Dollar Baby," which date back to his television days (an Emmy for "thirtysomething," Gemini awards for "Due South"). He reteamed with "Million Dollar Baby" helmer Clint Eastwood to adapt the WWII historical drama "Flags Of Our Fathers," which is in post-production, and was infamously called upon to doctor (or, polish) the script for the currently filming Bond film, "Casino Royale."
From MTV.com, a post-Oscar interview with Haggis:
"It will be completely different, I think. You know, it takes James Bond from the very first Ian Fleming book, "Casino Royale," when he becomes James Bond — when he gets his "Double 0" status, which means he has two kills, and therefore has his license to kill. But all the bells and whistles, all the things that Q used to give him, the gadgets, those are all gone. So you deal with the character as an assassin and what it feels like to be an assassin. And I ask the question, "Why does he treat women the way that he treats them?"
So I’ve either helped to re-energize this series, or I’ve just ruined James Bond for everybody forever."
