CreedandAquamanstars Michael B. Jordan and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are set to team up for a new dramatic thriller,I Helped Destroy People, a film that is being adapted from a 2021New York Timespiece involving an FBI agent who leaked classified documents.
The article told the story of idealistic FBI agent Terry Albury, the only Black agent at his bureau, who was tasked with infiltrating Muslim communities post-9/11. But after growing so disillusioned by the War on Terror, Albury began leaking classified documents to the press, exposing the agency’s many violations of its rules on domestic terrorism (alleged racial and religious profiling of citizens). Albury was then apprehended and sent to prison for four years, convicted under the Espionage Act.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming film will come fromAmazon Studiosandwill see Abdul-Mateen II fill the roleof Albury as well as produce through his company House Eleven10. Jordan and his Outlier Society partner Elizabeth Raposo will also serve as producers.Hand of Godcreator Ben Watkins is set to pen the script. The project is now in development at Amazon after the streamer picked up the article by Janet Reitman “in a competitive situation.”
In the article, Albury felt obligated to leak the articles after feeling that what he was a part of was not acceptable. “I did it because it got to a point where the reality of what I was a part of hit me in a way that just shattered my existence,” Albury told theNew York Times. “There is this mythology surrounding the war on terrorism, and the F.B.I., that has given agents the power to ruin the lives of completely innocent people based solely on what part of the world they came from, or what religion they practice, or the color of their skin. And I did that. I helped destroy people. For 17 years.”
As for Abdul-Mateen II portraying Arbury, it seems like a great casting choice. After appearing in smaller roles in films likeBaywatch,The Greatest Showman, andUs, the actor has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to look out for, as he has now built an impressive resume starring in acclaimed works such asThe Trial of the Chicago 7, theCandymanremake, and HBO’sWatchmenminiseries, where he won a Primetime Emmy for his performance as Doctor Manhattan. Abdul-Mateen II has also starred in big blockbusters like the DCEU’sAquamanand will join Jake Gyllenhaal next month in theMichael Bay directed action thrillerAmbulance.
As for Jordan, his Outlier Society production company is currently in production on the upcoming boxing dramaCreed IIIfor MGM, as Jordan is not only reprising the titular role Adonis Creed, but making his directorial debut on the film as well. The production company, which produces both film and television, also has projects likeStatic Shock, a live-action take on a groundbreaking title from DC Comics, andYou Made a Fool of Death With Your Beautyfor Amazon in early development. In addition to his recent success with Outlier Society, it was also recently announced that Jordan will bejoining Will Smith inI Am Legend 2, a sequel to the hit 2007 post-apocalyptic action thriller.
I Helped Destroy Peopleis in early development at Amazon.
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