Edward Berger_credit Christian Schoppe

Source: Christian Schoppe

Edward Berger

Edward Berger, the director of best picture Oscar nominee Conclave, is being lined up to helm an adaptation of the upcoming memoir from The Wall Street Journal reporter who was imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges. Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists label run by former Netflix film head Scott Stuber is negotiating for rights.

Amy Pascal is in talks to produce and David Weil to adapt the book by Evan Gershkovich, a foreign correspondent for the WSJ who lived in Moscow for seven years and spent one behind bars after he was wrongfully incarcerated. Gershkovich is writing the memoir and Penguin Random House imprint Crown plans to publish in 2026.

Stuber and Nick Nesbitt will produce for UA. Gershkovich is in talks to executive produce along with The Wall Street Journal. Ella Milman, Gerskovich’s mother, is also in talks to executive produce and her book proposal will be part of the underlying rights.

Berger’s Conclave is in contention for eight Oscars at Sunday’s 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood. The Vatican thriller won the best ensemble cast prize at the SAG Awards last weekend, and the best film prize and outstanding British film at the Baftas earlier this month.

Berger, whose last film was All Quiet On The Western Front won four Oscars including best international feature film, is directing the upcoming American psychological thriller drama The Ballad Of A Small Player.

UA and Stuber are currently producing Scarlett Johansson mystery The Girl In The Lake, Kill Your Darlings starring Julia Roberts, and holiday comedy Christmas In Paradise.

 

Topics