Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson is set to headline Parkland director Peter Landesman’s latest, the historical spy thriller Felt. Neeson will play the famous informant known as “Deep Throat.”
Felt aims to be a taut spy thriller, centering on “Deep Throat,” the pseudonym given to the notorious whistleblower for one of the greatest scandals of all time, Watergate. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much public curiosity and speculation for more than 30 years. That is until, in 2005, special agent Mark Felt shockingly revealed himself as the tipster. This unbelievable true story chronicles the personal and professional life of the brilliant and uncompromising Felt, who risked and ultimately sacrificed everything – his family, his career, his freedom – in the name of justice.
Felt is based on a script by Landesman, who will also produce. MadRiver Pictures will finance and produce, alongside Scott Free Productions, Playtone and Cara Films. Ridley Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan, Christopher Woodrow and Jay Roach will produce. Steven Shareshian and Michael Schaefer will executive produce alongside Michael Bassick and Steven Marshall.
This will be the second collaboration for writer/director Peter Landesman, Giannina Scott and Ridley Scott, following their very successful collaboration on Concussion, starring Will Smith, which Sony will release wide on Christmas Day.
Neeson starred earlier this year in Run All Night. He also made appearances in both Entourage and Ted 2, the latter of which reteamed him with A Million Ways to Die in the West helmer Seth MacFarlane.
CAA arranged the financing and will introduce the Felt to domestic distributors at AFM. Sierra/Affinity will handle the foreign rights.
Principal photography on Felt is set to begin in March 2016.
