Peter Miller, President
PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc.
45 West 21st Street — 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10010
212-929-1222
Email:
www.pmalitfilm.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WARNER BROS. PICTURES OPTIONS
TALE OF AMERICA'S FIRST SPY
BURBANK, CA; NEW YORK, NY; FEBRUARY, 2007—Peter Miller, President of PMA Literary & Film Management, Inc., is happy to announce the option sale of journalist M. William Phelps's narrative biography of Revolutionary War Hero Nathan Hale to Warner Bros. Pictures with Josephson Entertainment producing—the book is set to be published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, in the fall of 2008
The property was brought to Warner Bros. by Danica Radovanov & Alexander F. Young of Josephson Entertainment after Young brought the material into the company. Josephson Entertainment brought the project to WB's Executive, Matt Reilly, who loved the idea for its historical importance, cool commercial hook, and relevance today.
Peter Miller notes, “The book sale was originally announced January 11th, 2007, after which several production companies and studios approached me. A buzz developed about the proposal, its immense patriot themes and its potential as a feature. M. William Phelps and I are delighted be in business with everyone at Josephson and Warner Bros.”
Josephson Entertainment, headed by producer Barry Josephson, most recently produced HIDE AND SEEK starring Robert De Niro & Dakota Fanning. Mr. Josephson's other recent films include LIKE MIKE from 20th Century Fox and THE LADYKILLERS, written and directed by the Coen Bros. and starring Tom Hanks. Mr. Josephson recently completed producing the Disney film ENCHANTED starring Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, James Marsden, and Susan Sarandon with Kevin Lima (TARZAN, 102 DALMATIONS) directing. ENCHANTED will be released November 21, 2007 as their Thanksgiving Holiday movie.
Up next for Mr. Josephson is the Fox family adventure film THEY CAME FROM UPSTAIRS written by Mark Burton (WALLACE & GROMIT) and to be directed by newcomer Thor Freudenthal with principal photography scheduled to begin May 2007. Also upcoming is the Fox film FALL OF SAIGON (working title), which is the true story of the evacuation from the American Embassy in Saigon as the city fell and is currently being written by Robert Schenkkan (THE QUIET AMERICAN).
Phelps is bringing the entire epic story of Hale's life together in a narrative for the first time, finally bringing the truth to Hale's often-fictionalized legacy—think John Adams meets Band of Brothers.
With a working title of, For the Sake of Liberty: The Life and Death of Captain Nathan Hale, America's First Spy, Phelps's book will chronicle a period in Hale's life between 1773 and 1776, as told through a variety of primary sources, focusing on the close relationship Hale had with his brother, Enoch, all set against two major battles of the American Revolution.
“There's been some new information about Hale's life to surface,” says Phelps, “which offers a more poignant look into this man's incredible story of patriotism. But that is merely one aspect of a truly epic story—a remarkable life, essentially, of faith, hope and courage, folded against the backdrop of two brothers coping with the immense tragedy of war.”
Part of Phelps's account will detail that personal relationship between Nathan and Enoch, who, upon hearing rumors of Nathan's death, set out on a journey to find out what had happened.
“I'm delighted to be writing the book for Thomas Dunne Books, with its strong backlist in history, and working with Barry Josephson and Warner Bros.,” Phelps adds.
“Inside the pathos of Hale's life, you have the heroic passage of the nation's first band of brothers, in part led by Hale, as a group of greenhorn soldiers travel from New London to Boston, heading into the opening moments of the most significant war in American History.”
Phelps brings a unique investigative edge to the project and plans to, in a journalistic fashion, explore the entire Hale family legacy.
“I grew up in Vernon, a Connecticut town bordering Coventry, Hale's hometown. When I started this project, I viewed the story as a reporter would,” Phelps says. “While collecting research, I asked questions—and those questions led to letters, journals and other resources.”
Peter Miller says, “Phelps has a knack for finding information in documents other researchers have glossed over or even missed.”
Throughout his career, Phelps has written seven non-fiction books, along with freelance articles for the Providence Journal, Hartford Courant, The “New London” Day, and several magazines. He's consulted for television and been on ABC's “GMA,” CNN, Fox, Court TV, Biography Channel, History Channel, Discovery and more. He's covered a variety of diverse subjects throughout his career. He's going to produce a highly readable, factual account of America's first official spy.
“My goal is historical accuracy,” Phelps concludes. “My strong point has always been document examination, be it a police report or, in this case, Revolutionary War papers. I gather facts and tell stories based on interviews and documentation. Here, I'll rely on the anecdotes of soldiers who served with Hale, recollections from his friends and family, Hale's own words, along with scores of other documents, books, letters, journals and diaries. My objective is to report Hale's life story through those who knew him best and present it in a narrative the general reader will enjoy.”