British writer and director, Amma Asante, will be at the helm of the film adaptation of David E. Hoffman’s popular drama thriller novel, The Billion Dollar Spy.
Asante, who last summer (2017) was honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her contribution to film, directed the acclaimed A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike. The release of Belle in 2013, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw who is currently featuring in A Wrinkle in Time, marked her second feature film.
The Billion Dollar Spy, as reported by Deadline, is the true story of a man who became the Pentagon’s most valuable spy during the last years of the Cold War. Despite numerous rejections by a cautious CIA on the lookout for undercover KGB agents, Adolf G. Tolkachev, the chief designer at the USSR’s Research Institute of Radio Engineering, handed over tens of thousands of pages of highly classified documents to the U.S.
Tolkachev quickly became the crown jewel of the CIA’s spy network, though in return, his greatest ask was for gifts for his son. For years, Tolkachev and his handler, successfully eluded the KGB in its own backyard, until the day came when a shocking betrayal put them all at risk.
The film, will be produced by Walden Media (Wonder, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Akiva Goldsman. Frank Smith, president/CEO of Walden Media, said: “We are so proud to have Amma at the helm of this prestigious project. She is an incredibly talented director who will bring her unique vision and experience to this film.”
Asante’s next project is reportedly a British romance drama war film Where Hands Touch, starring Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games) and George MacKay (Captain Fantastic).
Female directors of colour? We’re here for it!
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