The next project from Michael Mann has been announced, with the Heat and Public Enemies director wanting to take on the story of renowned war photographer Robert Capa, who is a legend within his field. The movie will be based on the Spanish-language novel, Waiting For Robert Capa, by Susana Fortes, which Columbia has bought the rights to.
The book focuses on Capa’s early years, starting in Paris in 1935, where he is living as a refugee from fascist Hungary. There he meets German Jewish refugee Gerda Taro, with whom he starts a torrid two-year romance. In 1936 the Spanish Civil War greaks out, with Capa and Taro heading off to the frontline to make their names as a war photographers, with tragic concequences.
Mann has apparently wanted to make a biopic about Capa for a long time, but wasn’t sure how to do it until he found Fortes’ book. He’s now set Jez Butterworth to write the script, after being impressed by his play. Jerusalem. Butterworth has also worked on the scripts for biopics of James Brown as well as former CIA operative Valerie Plame (the latter of which is being directed by Doug Liman).
Capa’s story is certainly an interesting one, with debate raging over whether many of his most famous shots were staged, and his romance with Taro effecting the rest of his life, ensuring this should be one to watch.