Weinsteins Grab Film Rights To Rescue Tale ‘A Speck In The Sea’

The cover story of the current New York Times Magazine tells the story of a lobster fisherman who fell overboard in the middle of the night 40 miles offshore and the frenzied efforts to rescue him. Rachael Horovitz, Jason Blum and Harvey Weinstein will produce A Speck In The Sea for The Weinstein Company. Here’s the release:

New York, NY (January 10, 2014) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they have acquired the film rights to writer Paul Tough’s (HOW CHILDREN SUCCEED) New York Times Magazine article “A Speck in the Sea.” The piece, which ran as the magazine’s cover story last Sunday, will be produced for the screen by Rachael Horovitz (Academy Award® nominated for MONEYBALL and Emmy and Golden Globe Winner for GREY GARDENS) along with Jason Blum and Harvey Weinstein. Bob Weinstein will executive produce the project, with TWC creative executive Julie Oh overseeing development.

Tough’s New York Times Magazine article explores the harrowing true story of the rescue of lobster fisherman John Aldridge who fell into the ocean in the middle of the night on July 24th, forty miles off Montauk with no life vest and no way to signal where he was. Anthony Sosinski, his childhood best friend and partner on the boat, woke up to realize John was gone. What followed was an unprecedented multi-state rescue operation involving both the Coast Guard and the fishing community from across the Northeast. Producer Horovitz was in East Hampton when the story unfolded and with Blum chased the powerful New York Times Magazine piece.

Commented TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein: “Paul’s piece in the Times magazine last weekend was one of those that instantly struck us as film that had to be made. Rachael and Jason are some of the best in the business, and seeing this amazing story come to life is going to be a wild ride.”

Noted Horovitz: “The East End is filled with people of integrity like John and Anthony – who risk their lives for one another on a daily basis. I am so honored to be a part of this film and to be working with Harvey, Bob and Jason to bring to the screen this thrilling story of the  triumphant spirit of human connection and the meaning of community when it joins together.”

The deal for “A Speck in the Sea” was negotiated for TWC by COO David Glasser with Kassie Evashevski at UTA and David McCormick at McCormick & Williams on behalf of Tough, Aldridge and Sosinski.