EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios has won a five-way auction to land Sasha. Producers attached to the psychological thriller package include Berlanti Schechter Films’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Mike McGrath and These Pictures’ Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn.
Micah Schraft is writing the script based on the short story by Suzanne Rindell. They are keeping specifics under wraps, but the buzz in the market is, think of psychological thrillers like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and What Lies Beneath.
Johansson and Berlanti developed a strong relationship pairing on Fly Me to the Moon. They made a good movie that wilted in the summer heat at the box office, but the Johansson-Channing Tatum pairing will get a second wind when released by Apple TV+. It originally was going straight to streaming, but strong test screenings compelled Sony to step up and give it a theatrical release first.
Schraft is an Emmy-nominated writer who recently scripted the Fred Astaire biopic that Tom Holland plans to star in for Sony and The Ruth Handler Story for Amazon. He is Co-EP on Mrs. America starring Cate Blanchett and is currently an EP helping to run Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. He’s also developing a limited series based on Dean Martin, with Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Hugh Jackman.
Rindell is the author of five novels: The Other Typist, Three Martini Lunch, Eagle & Crane, The Two Mrs. Carlyles and the new Dutton novel Summer Fridays.
The auction was brokered by Verve; CAA reps These Pictures and Berlanti Schechter. Verve reps Schraft and Rindell.
