Set during the Cold War, the drama recalls Bobby Fischer’s historic chess championship clash with the Soviets.
Ed Zwick’s Pawn Sacrifice — starring Tobey Maguire as legendary chess player Bobby Fischer — is beginning the journey toward getting financed.
Lionsgate International, winning a heated bidding war among sales agents, has signed on to represent the project and will begin shopping Pawn Sacrifice to foreign buyers at the upcoming American Film Market, which gets underway Oct. 31.
From a script by Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things), Pawn Sacrifice is set during the height of the Cold War and Fischer’s legendary championship with the Soviets even as he struggled against his own psychological demons.
Gail Katz, whose credits include The Perfect Storm, is producing with Maguire’s production company Material Pictures.
At a young age, Fischer rocketed from a self-taught savant to a pop culture icon by becoming the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess, also famous for his unpredictable outbursts.
In 1972, after a record-breaking winning streak, Fischer becomes the first American to reach the finals, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown against the seemingly invincible Soviet master Boris Spassky.
Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
A great pick to play Fischer.
Actually, Nicholas Cage may have been the better choice. Looks more like the mature Fischer and brings more energy to the screen.