Graham King’s GK Films and William Monahan are developing The Essex, an historical drama about Capt. David S. Porter and his daring sea battles against the British during the War of 1812.
Monahan has written the script and is in talks to direct, says Variety.
At a time when the ships of the British Royal Navy heavily outnumbered the American naval fleet, Porter steered the Essex past British cruisers to reach the Pacific, where it devastated the British whaling fleet before engaging in a final battle with a special Brit squadron.
Monahan covered the historical time period in his first major script sale with Tripoli, a project still percolating at Fox.
