Four years after his life ended, the story of journalist Gary Webb is headed to the screen.
Variety reports that Universal is developing a film based on Webb’s life, titled Kill the Messenger. Peter Landesman is attached to write the screenplay, which will draw from a pair of books optioned by the studio: Nick Schou’s Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb and Webb’s own Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.
While writing for the San Jose Mercury News, Webb worked on a story linking the CIA to, in Variety‘s words, “a scheme to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua and import cocaine into California.” The story, understandably, earned Webb the enmity of the CIA, to the extent that some believe his 2004 death — ruled a suicide — had more nefarious causes.
Landesman, for one, believes Webb was on to something; according to Variety, “the film will posit that Webb was mostly right, and that the CIA sought to smear him to cover up a scandal.” Landesman is quoted as saying:
It’s the story of a reporter killed for telling the truth, and it’s poignant and relevant as the CIA and U.S. government continue to make nefarious deals with the devil for what they believe is the greater good.
Source: Variety
