Benny Safdie’s and Nathan Fielder’s wildly audacious “The Curse” turned some heads when it aired recently on Showtime. It was no doubt an uncomfortable watch, but also one of the most daringly bold, absurdist and rule breaking shows ever put on television.
Fielder’s vision was a mix of domestic drama, horror, satire and docu-fiction. We already know about Safdie’s work with brother Josh, but Fielder, a comedic talent, showcased his chops as a filmmaker by directing seven of the ten episodes — he also co-wrote all of them with Safdie.
Now, THR is reporting that Stone will be reuniting with Fielder for a film project with A24. The indie studio beat out tough competition to nab the rights for “Checkmate”.
“Checkmate” is based on a true story and will be adapted via a book proposal from author Ben Mezrich, whose other writings, such as The Social Network and Dumb Money, have been adapted into films. Fielder is attached to direct, and Stone is set to produce alongside her husband and producing partner, Dave McCary, with the duo’s label, Fruit Tree.
Description of the project is as follows —
“Checkmate” tackles an esoteric and true life story that may still be developing. The film will spotlight the biggest scandal in the history of chess, focusing on the generational battle between Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and the young “bad boy” of chess, Hans Niemann. The latter was accused of cheating in one of the pair’s head-to-head matches, which became a major scandal in the world of chess and beyond. The story is not just about the rivalry and the scandal, but also the rise of a billion-dollar chess industry and so-called “collision of tradition and innovation” in the game.
A source tells THR that A24’s aggressive method for acquiring the film included making an offer that “guaranteed seven figures and setting a 30-minute timer for a decision to be made”. The insider was taken aback as much as the studios were, saying, “I’ve never seen A24 do that before.” Another source stated, “I guess A24 is competing now.”
As for Fielder’s directing chops, Christopher Nolan seems to approve. Fielder recently revealed that Nolan—the king of practical effects—texted him and Safdie after watching the surreal ‘Curse’ finale “and wondered, ‘How did you guys do that?’”