I'm not completely certain how much of this is true, certainly some of it is but the part about who might be involved is sketchy. So take that aspect of it with a healthy dose of salt, but keep it in the back of your mind because these are some big names potentially eyeing a red-hot project.
So Deadline notes that former Sony exec Amy Pascal has picked up the rights to Christopher Cosmos' spec script, American Rebel. It tells the truly remarkable story of Deborah Sampson, who if you've never heard of her is worth studying up on. She was a Massachusetts woman who pretended to be a man so she could enlist in the Continental Army and fight in the Revolutionary War. While she was caught in her first attempt, she joined the infantry of a different Company and maintained her disguise for nearly two years. During that time she endured illnesses, which she hid so as not to be discovered, and was shot in the leg, removing one of the buckshots herself to avoid detection. Eventually an outbreak led to her discovery by a doctor who maintained her secret until she was honorably discharged in 1783. Afterwards she went on to get married, have kids, and was granted back payment and pension benefits for her service.
There's a good chance the film will land at Sony Pictures given Pascal's ties to the studio, and it could be part of an incredible package. The Tracking Board says Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Daisy Ridley is eyeing the lead role, with Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Joe Wright all interested in directing. It's hard to imagine Spielberg fitting in another film given his cramped schedule, and the same could be said of Ridley who has lined up a number of roles to fit between her Star Wars work. Chances are Pascal is going to want to move on this fast, and we'll bring details once more emerge.
