Variety reports that Sony Pictures is considering a biopic about legendary newsman Walter Cronkite.
Spider-Man studio has tapped screenwriter David Rosley to adapt the 2012 biopic “Cronkite,” by renowned scholar Douglas Brinkley, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Brinkley is the Katherine Zanov Brown Professor of Humanities and History at Rice University and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine. Six of his books have been selected as “Notable Books of the Year” by the New York Times.
“For anyone interested in the evolution and power of broadcast news, this book is an excellent read as it chronicles TV journalism’s most remarkable phenomenon, Walter Cronkite,” wrote PBS anchor Robert McNeil in a Washington Post review. “Brinkley’s book intimately reveals all his petty machinations and all his greatness.”
The script is somewhat timely, as Cronkite’s name has been bandied about frequently during the recent difficult transformation of CBS News under Paramount’s ownership and the editorial leadership of lightning rod Bari Weiss. Cronkite passed away in 2009 at the age of 92.
“Cronkite” is Rothley and Sony’s second project. In 2021, the studio purchased his original spec script, The Dryline, which will be produced by Joel Silver. Prior to working as an in-house staff writer at Digital Domain, Rothley led the story department at Relativity Media. He is currently developing projects with director Peter Guber’s Mandalay Pictures and Chris Hemsworth’s production company Wild State.
Peter Kang and Allie Bloom will direct the project for Sony. Douglas Brinkley is repped by Will Watkins of Creative Artists Agency. Mr. Rosley is represented by Mr. Gersh, Bellevue Productions, and attorney Matt Jacobs of 3B Law.
