Although the filmmakers behind last year’s comedy 30 Minutes or Less initially claimed they had no knowledge of the true-life story of a pizza delivery man who was forced to rob a bank after an explosive device was tied to him, they finally admitted some faint recognition. Considering their story also followed a pizza delivery man who was forced to rob a bank after an explosive device was tied to him, they maybe should have come forward a bit sooner but regardless, another take on the story is in the works.
In that 2003 event of Erie, Pa. pizza delivery man Brian Douglas Wells, the bomb, strapped around his neck, actually exploded after he exited the bank and instantly killed the man, which caused further controversy regarding the light, comedic take that Gangster Squad director Ruben Fleischer went with. But now Deadline reports the event will be getting dramatic treatment, as Mythology Entertainment and Anyway Entertainment have come together to produce this take, now titled Collar Bomb.
This project will be based on FBI Special Agent Gerald Clark and journalist Ed Palattella, whose forthcoming novel Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America’s Most Shocking Bank Robbery delves into this story. Producers, who also include Shutter Island and Avatar‘s Laeta Kalogridis as well as Zodiac‘s James Vanderbilt, have reportedly secured rights to many angles from the story, from the book authors to attorneys to Rich Schapiro‘s Wired article on the event (which should be read).
Having not enjoyed 30 Minutes or Less all that much, despite the general hilarity of Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride, I suppose a dramatic take on this material could work well. The apparent intensity of just the concept could prove to be worthwhile and as long as they don’t change the outcome like Fleischer’s film did, it could to be the bleak, opposite tone they’re clearly going for. But I’d personally be more interested in a documentary from all these real-life accounts.
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