After a six-year absence, we finally saw the Little Miss Sunshine duo of Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton make their return to the big screen this past summer, directing the vastly underrated rom-com, Ruby Sparks. It was a film far too many people slept on, and at least in my opinion it's the best work they've done yet. Fortunately we won't have to wait long for their next project, as they've signed on to direct The Big Cigar, which chronicles a most unusual real life relationship.
The film is based on a recent article by Joshua Bearman, who also happens to be the journalist who wrote the Wired story Ben Affleck based Argo on. This one sounds eerily similar, actually, and chronicles an attempt by Easy Rider producer Bert Schneider to create a fake film to help smuggle Black Panthers founder Huey P. Newton out of prison and into Cuba. Newton had been charged for the murder of 17-year old prostitute Kathleen Smith, and Schneider came up with a phony film titled The Cigar that help spirit him and his girlfriend out out of the country. Told you it was familiar. Bearman is adapting his own article alongside Jim Hecht, and Matt Tolmach(The Amazing Spider-Man) is producing. Although there are some similarities, this and Argo are obviously very different stories, and it'll be tough to try and make Newton someone for audiences to root for considering the crime he committed. But, if a project like this is going to happen, now is probably the best time for it. There could be some really meaty roles here, as well, so I'm curious to know who they get to star. [Deadline]
