EXCLUSIVE: Justin Lin and screenwriter Mark Heyman have become the latest movie makers to take the Netflix plunge. Lin, who directed four of The Fast And The Furious films and most recently Star Trek Beyond, has made a deal to direct The Stand Off, a period drama written by Black Swan scribe Heyman. Film takes place in December, 1969, when a newly formed Police unit known as the “SWAT team” embarked on their first major operation: to raid the Los Angeles Headquarters of the Black Panther Party. Seen from both perspectives, the resulting face off would be the most intense in the city’s long history, and its ramifications are still felt today.
Lin is producing through his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner along with Material Pictures’ Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe, and Ben Shields Catlin. Troy Craig Poon is exec producer. PSE’s Mary Lee will oversee the project. Heyman hatched the project and they developed it as a directing vehicle for Lin, who gets back to his gritty indie origins like his directing debut Better Luck Tomorrow. When the pitch went out, there were multiple bids, but Lin and Heyman chose Netflix. The auction predated the hiring of Scott Stuber as Netflix’s head of features, but Stuber interceded in locking down a few outstanding deal points and made this a done deal over the past few days. CAA and Cinetic rep Lin, CAA and Grandview rep Heyman.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.