JC Chandor has found success with pretty much every project he's undertaken, earning awards for Margin Call, All is Lost, and A Most Violent Year, the latter I believe got the shaft at the Oscars. While his Deepwater Horizon film never quite came together and has since been taken over by Peter Berg, Chandor has found another true story to tell, one that promises to be just as explosive.
Chandor will produce and potentially direct The Liar's Ball, an adaptation of Vicky Ward's book that chronicles the history of Manhattan's GM Building and Harry Macklowe, the man who bought it in 2003 and lost it at the height of the financial crisis. Gideon Yago (The Newsroom) will adapt the screenplay, while Zachary Quinto, who starred in Chandor's Margin Call, is listed as an exec-producer. Ward's book goes deep into the rich history of the GM Building from the time before it was built to the present.
No word on when this will roll but it sounds like a great chance for Chandor to put together another huge acting ensemble of larger-than-life characters. Here's the book synopsis:
Harry Macklowe is one of the most notorious wheelers and dealers of the real estate world, and Liar's Ball is the story of the gamblers and thieves who populate his world. Watch as Harry makes the gutsy bid for midtown Manhattan's famous GM building and put almost no money down, landing the billion-dollar transaction that made him the poster child for New York's real estate royalty. Listen in on the secret conversations, back-door deals, and blackmail that put Macklowe and his cronies on top—and set them up for an enormous fall.
Vanity Fair contributing editor Vicky Ward skillfully paints the often scandalous picture of the giants who owned the New York skyline until their empires came crumbling down in the 2008 financial crisis. Based on more than 200 interviews with real estate moguls like Donald Trump, William Zeckendorf, Mort Zuckerman, and David Simon, Liar's Ball is the never-before-told story of the egomaniacal elites of New York City. Read about:
-The epic rise and fall of one of the richest American real estate barons
-Outlandish greed and cravings for power, attention, and love
-Relationships built and destroyed by vanity and gossip
-The bursting of the real estate bubble and its aftermath
This is no fiction—this is a real life tale of extravagance, ambition, and power. Harry Macklowe ruthlessly clawed his way to the top with the help of his loyal followers, each grubbing for a piece of the real estate pie. Liar's Ball reveals their secrets and tells the tale of business as usual for this group—lying, backstabbing, and moving in for the kill when things look patchy. From the bestselling author of The Devil's Casino comes an exposé on the real estate elite that you'll hardly believe.
