It was inevitable that John McAfee's story would be brought to the screen because it's so damn weird, but it's moving faster than expected. If his last name sounds familiar it's because you've probably used his anti-virus software at some point, but now that name is more synonymous with his increasingly odd behavior and legal problems. And of course Hollywood is there to turn a profit from his troubles.
THR reports that John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, the writing/directing duo behind Crazy, Stupid, Love, will do the same for a film based on Joshua Davis' Wired magazine article, John McAfee's Last Stand. The story won't be about software or technical glitches, instead focusing on his recent escapades in Belize. McAfee began the anti-virus company in 1987, and around the time he departed in 1994 was worth upwards of $100M. A few years later it was down to $4M thanks to a number of high-profile failures. He would eventually hightail it to Belize, where he became suspected as a drug dealer, then went on the run after the police wanted to question him as a "person of interest" in the murder of a neighbor. He was eventually caught, applied for political asylum, faked a couple of heart attacks, and now is in Portland, OR where he continues to think the police are out to kill him. Oh, and he's working on a comic book about his life.
It sounds like just the sort of offbeat caper Requa and Ficarra should be perfect for, having made their directorial debut on I Love You Phillip Morris. They also wrote Bad Santa and are currently working on Focus, a heist film starring Kristen Stewart.
