Monday, June 20, 2011

Parker, a Film based on a Character Created by Donald Westlake, to be Distributed by FilmDistrict

Richard Stark's Parker

FilmDistrict will acquire the US distribution rights to the film Parker, which will star Jason Statham as the professional thief created by Donald Westlake, who wrote a popular series of hard-boiled novels in the 1960s and 1970s featuring the character under the pen name Richard Stark.

Parker has been the inspiration for a number of films to date, most notably (but certainly not exclusively) 1967's Point Blank with Lee Marvin, adapted from the novel The Hunter; 1968's The Split with Jim Brown, adapted from the novel The Seventh; 1973's The Outfit with Robert Duvall, adapted from the novel of the same title; and 1999's Payback with Mel Gibson, also adapted from the novel The Hunter. Curiously, none of these films actually name the lead character "Parker", though Payback comes the closest with "Porter".

Taylor Hackford will direct a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, which we do not believe is based on any specific book in the series. Production is expected to begin this August.

(Source: Deadline|New York.)

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