Nicolas Cage and director John Carpenter are in final negotiations to team up for a prison thriller titled Scared Straight, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Nu Image/Millennium Films would finance the film and is in negotiations with Contrafilm’s Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson along with Randall Emmett and George Furla to produce. Avi Lerner also would produce.
“Straight” follows a troubled youth who’s sent to prison off the Scared Straight crime-prevention program, which imprisons delinquent teens for a short period in the hopes of deterring them from a life of crime. While the teen is there, a riot breaks out and the prisoners take him hostage. A lifer, played by Cage, is forced to help the young man out.
Joe Gazzam wrote the original spec script, which was rewritten by Ron Brinkerhoff. Noah Rosen is executive producing as is Rob Cohen, who was attached to direct at one point.
An October start is being eyed.
