It was announced today that Wayne Wang (Maid in Manhattan, The Joy Luck Club) will direct a new Albert Einstein biopic from a script written by Academy Award winning screenwriter Ron Bass (Rain Man, Entrapment, My Best Friend’s Wedding). Paul Schiff is producing the film for Hollywood Studios International (HSI), with HSI Chairman & CEO Steven Saxton executive producing along with HSI Films President Eric Christenson. The project came through Golan Ramras who will produce the film, through his Go Long Productions banner, with Schiff. Hero Pictures’ Koldo Eguren will executive produce as well.
Producers are considering shooting the film in Germany and various locations throughout Europe. The search for the lead actor to play Albert Einstein will commence in the coming weeks.
The film, tentatively titled Einstein, chronicles the true inspirational story of the trials, tragedies and vindication of the single-most celebrated scientist of the 20th century. Torn between the burdens of a family and his restless pursuit of unlocking the mysteries of the universe, he not only achieved unparalleled stature as a genius but he also changed the world forever – at no small cost to himself and those around him.
HSI Films will handle worldwide sales on Einstein and immediately introduce the project to distributors in Berlin.
Said Eric Christenson, “Coming aboard a project that teams Wayne Wang and Ron Bass is tremendously exciting, and we have something special on our hands with ‘Einstein.’ People know the name and the theories, yet most people don’t know the fascinating details of his life’s story.”
Koldo Eguren added, “People don’t know about his struggles with poverty, his dyslexia, his love for music, his relationships with the women in his life, his persecution by the Nazis and his battle to deal with living in the public eye and being under constant scrutiny. Ron’s screenplay peels back the layers and allows us to see past Einstein the scientist and Einstein the celebrity, showing us Einstein the man.”
Einstein marks Schiff’s second collaboration with Wayne Wang, having previously produced Wang’s Maid in Manhattan for Sony and Revolution Studios.
