WikiLeaks Movie From Dreamworks? Studio Buys Rights To Two Books

WikiLeaks: The Movie?

The Guardian confirms that major film studio Dreamworks, led by Steven Spielberg, has bought the rights to two books about WikiLeaks, including one about the newspaper's stormy relationship with leader Julian Assange as he provided scoops this fall.

The book, titled, "WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy," and written by Guardian reporters David Leigh and Luke Harding, has brought on threats of a lawsuit from Assange, potentially based on allegations in the book that he refused to protect the name of Afghan informants, whom he said would "deserve it" if they were killed.

Talking about a potential film, Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-Chief of the paper, said, "It's Woodward and Bernstein meets Stieg Larsson meets Jason Bourne. Plus the odd moment of sheer farce and, in Julian Assange, a compelling character who goes beyond what any Hollywood scriptwriter would dare to invent."

The other book, "Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website," which was released just two weeks ago, is by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, the former spokesperson for the group. He had a falling out with Assange and doesn't treat him kindly in the book, saying that he was obsessed with conspiracy theories against the group and had become controlling and secretive, to the point that he was behaving, "like some kind of emperor or slave trader."

Read much more from that book in our story here.

WikiLeaks responded to the purchase with a statement on Twitter that read, "This is how bulls**t ends up being history: Spielberg lines up WikiLeaks film based on books by opportunists."

Assange has more than unflattering movies to worry about. He's still battling rape allegations, claims that he has fathered at least four children, allegations of anti-semitism, and a new rival website called OpenLeaks, started by Domscheit-Berg.

There is a short film/documentary about WikiLeaks called "Revolution Truth" that was produced by Tangerine Bolen, who worked with Michael Moore on the film, though Bolen is unsure what they'll do with the finished product.

For more, click over to The Guardian.

Comments

[dkj2808]

09:36 AM on 03/03/2011

This will play into Assange’s bloated view of himself - http://danieljames.com.au/martyr-or-megalomaniac/

[andycash]

10:58 PM on 03/13/2011

Most people who are capable of impacting the masses with the truth have very strong personalities.
It's the weak personalities that cause the problems.

[ardentapathy]

01:59 AM on 03/03/2011

This obsession with making films about issues currently ongoing has to stop. These are important issues and turning them into a source of entertainment should be frowned upon.

[cbhatt]

11:16 PM on 03/02/2011

This isn't right. The Wikileaks saga is still very much in motion and is way, way, way too important to have some Hollywood bigwig stick their nose in and affect public perception of them, whether good or bad.

[thinkb4uleapII]

06:50 PM on 03/02/2011

The coordinated media assault continues...

[helpusa]

06:39 PM on 03/02/2011

It is already obvious that this site has acquired a bunch of RW dolts, from some of the comments I'm reading here. You people can't handle the truth. You make personal assaults about Assange and negate the good that Wikileaks has done is immeasurable. Assange has been a great "face" for them and brought more attention to the fact that all governments are guilty of unspeakable crimes to humanity. The groups or people that don't like Wikileaks are those that wanted to keep secrets, like our CIA, Israel, Hillary and all it has really done is embarrassed them. Whether Wikileaks helped to foment the various revolutions in the Middle East, starting with Tunisia, it is not such a bad thing. We spent billions and billions trying to bring Democracy to Iraq, (!???!!?) when we haven't spent anything, for these other countries, YET! Maybe it is because we have outsourced the Democracy we had here, since we are losing ours!

[andycash]

10:52 PM on 03/13/2011

Government has become just another word for Corruption.

[NeverUndecided]

05:19 PM on 03/02/2011

It appears that Assange is going to be destroyed one way or other - if not legally then via the media. I have to take the Wiki view that "this is how bull*** ends up being history" - again, and again, and again.

[climbing panda]

05:38 PM on 03/02/2011

so he publishes classified information about governments and he's a hero.

someone publishes information about him and its bull?

right, got it.

[helpusa]

06:46 PM on 03/02/2011

Here is the difference panda, Assange published ACTUAL records with not additions of events from personal beliefs. People's personal opinions, or interpretations, or unusual judicial actions are opened to question.

[NeverUndecided]

10:29 PM on 03/02/2011

We're talking about the varied reasons to believe, or not believe, a particular claim. What Assange produced were actual cables - nobody argues the authenticity of the material.

With Assange, though, it's evident he is being whip-sawed by a series of efforts to discredit, smear and silence him - the latest being the supposed "anti-Semitic" remarks in the context of a fight he had with Guardian publishers who were deliberately skewing the order and priority of the publilshing of the leaks - the bulk of the attacks from unidentified sources, or when identified, then mere rumour and heresay with no documentation.

If you don't know that the winners write the history, you've got a lot of re-learning to do.

You are free to believe whatever garbage oozes out of this Government as you wish - just don't expect informed people to automtically follow suit.

[joseph449008]

05:16 PM on 03/02/2011

"Assange has more than unflattering movies to worry about. He's still battling rape allegations, claims that he has fathered at least four children, allegations of anti-semitism"

In other words, Assange is battling a number of unsupported assertions that are likely bullsh*t.

[andycash]

10:53 PM on 03/13/2011

Assange has brought a lot to life besides children.

[AJ4truth]

05:14 PM on 03/02/2011

what has any other great freedom activist had done to them in their time,
accused for rape charges
or tax allegations.

[LibDrummer]

04:51 PM on 03/02/2011

Last week Bush cancelled an appearance because they were going to have Assange at the same place via satellite because he did not want to be part of anything that had someone who damaged US interests. Leaving aside the Irony of the damage Bush did himself, how is this any different than what his administration and Scooter Libby did? He pardoned Scooter Libby for leaking the identity of a CIA agent working on WMD security. Assange has done nothing that rises to this level.

[Soulfest]

04:55 PM on 03/02/2011

That leak was done for vengeful reasons too, to get back at Plame's husband Joseph Wilson.

[WhereSheStops]

05:23 PM on 03/02/2011

That's not what Libby was accused of or pardoned for.

[IgnatiusJ]

04:50 PM on 03/02/2011

Charlie Sheen is slated to star. He's winning.

[Soulfest]

04:41 PM on 03/02/2011

I am thinking of an "actors actor," type, someone extremely intelligent and a brilliant actor too...Okay, he might not look like him but he can play him in a film...Edward Norton.

[aganunitsi]

05:36 PM on 03/02/2011

Oh my God that is so perfect! And he does kinda look like him.

[lorinhl]

04:32 PM on 03/02/2011

How about Bill Maher? He's got a certain look....if Craig is not available.

[Daisytoo]

06:20 PM on 03/02/2011

How about Barney Fife? Is he available?

[ThermoNuklear Brahms]

04:31 PM on 03/02/2011

unlike the Social Network, this might actually make a good movie.

[rel77]

04:24 PM on 03/02/2011

Is Liam Neeson too old to play Assange? He looks a lot like him.

[Eyeful]

04:39 PM on 03/02/2011

I agree. Liam would be best for the part. Makeup compensates for age.

[Daisytoo]

06:16 PM on 03/02/2011

Liam Neeson exudes robust masculinity, and is quite apparently intelligent, good humored and very good looking.

How do any of these qualities remind you of a pale and effete Mr. Creepy?

[rel77]

06:23 PM on 03/02/2011

Well, Liam is an actor, so I'm guessing that wouldn't be a problem. And I personally think Assange is a hero, not a creep.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

04:19 PM on 03/02/2011

It's going to be another Indiana Jones trevesty.

[Daisytoo]

06:17 PM on 03/02/2011

Only Assange will be playing the snakes in the pit, not the hero.