The King of Oil, a movie project still in its infancy, is getting some buzz lately. The film is said to be starring Matt Damon, who will play Marc Rich, the billionaire businessman indicted for 65 criminal counts including racketeering and tax evasion. The screenplay adaption is based on the 2009 book The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich, written by Daniel Ammann. Deadline first reported the news.
While the film will introduce Rich’s early life, it will mainly focus on his indictment and the controversial presidential pardon passed by President Bill Clinton on his last day of office, January 20, 2001. As a child, Rich emigrated from Belgium with his Jewish family to escape the Nazis in 1941. Rich later built his wealth by becoming an international trader and savvy businessman; a path that lead to his criminal proclivities. Although Rich was indicted in 1983, he did not serve a day in prison. Even with a presidential pardon, Rich never returned to the states. He eventually died in Switzerland in 2013.
Teaming up with Damon once again is John Krasinski. Damon and Krasinski worked together on Manchester by the Sea by contributing their producing talents. Coming off the summer sleeper A Quiet Place in which he starred and directed, Krasinski is suspected to follow suit by acting in and directing The King of Oil, but this is yet to be confirmed.
With other projects still in the works for all interested parties, The King of Oil has yet to set a production date.
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