A24, operating on its new mandate to act aggressively in the pursuit of projects, just outplayed the Hollywood studios and streamers in order to pick up Checkmate, a hot feature package centered on a book proposal by Ben Mezrich, the author whose books were adapted into films such The Social Network and Dumb Money.
If deals close, Checkmate will reteam Emma Stone with Nathan Fielder, who both adorned the most recent edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine and the stars of the Showtime series The Curse. Fielder is attached to direct, while Stone will produce along with her husband and partner Dave McCary via the duo’s Fruit Tree banner. It also reunites the pair with A24, which backed The Curse. Sources say the book deal is closing or has closed while the talent deals are still being hammered out.
In true Mezrich fashion, Checkmate sees the author tackling an esoteric and true life whose story may still be developing. Per the proposal that was being circulated, the book will spotlight the biggest scandal in the history of chess, focusing on the generational battle between Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and the young bad boy of chess, Hans Niemann. The latter was accused of cheating in one of the pair’s head-to-head matches, which became an all-consuming scandal in the world of chess and beyond. Per the package, 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.
Hans Niemann (left) and Magnus Carlsen (right) were caught up in a cheating scandal in 2022 that shocked the world of chess.
OLAF KRAAK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images; Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
The sale of Checkmate had a seemingly antiquated Queen’s Gambit, with an outreach that hearkened to spec or package sales of yore. The book proposal, all…
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