As the Wall Street lobby and their surrogates fight the HFT media war with a strategy that says “there is no story here, not a big deal,” comes news that the Michael Lewis book Flash Boys is close to being snapped up by Sony Pictures to transform the page-turner into a major motion picture.
Quick pick up from Sony Pictures
The fact that Flash Boys was picked up by a major Hollywood studio just a few days after the book’s release is stunning and a testament to the absolute wildfire of buzz the book created. The news was first reported in The Hollywood Reporter. Lewis’ previous book on Wall Street, The Big Short, which detailed the underlying cause of the 2008 market implosion, was picked up as a movie four years after the book was published.
The movie will be produced by Scott Rudin and Eli Bush. New York City native Rudin is particularly well known in financial circles for his growing interest in tackling Wall Street issues that can transfer to a wider audience. Rudin is one of the few producers to have accomplished the grand slam of artistic awards, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Rudin teams up with Tony award winner Bush, another New Yorker with the goal of translating populist Wall Street themes into compelling movies.
Barney Frank say’s Lewis book influenced him
Lewis’ book The Big Short had a similar impact on a political discussion, with former Congressman Barney Frank, namesake for the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill, noting that Lewis’ book influenced his thoughts on the financial crisis. Published in 2010, the book about the 2008 financial crisis is being developed at Paramount. The studio was said to have its arm twisted by Brad Pitt and his Plan B production company, who is working on the film. Pitt appeared in another successful Lewis book, Moneyball. Lewis is represented by the legendary CAA artist agency.
