Last year, it was announced that Elvis and Dune: Part Two headliner Austin Butler would be starring in and producing an adaptation of the gangster novel City on Fire for Sony‘s 3000 Pictures. Now, the project finally has a heavy-hitting writer attached, as Justin Kuritzkes will pen the film’s script, according to Deadline. Kuritzkes‘ work will be seen on the big screen shortly, as he is fresh off penning the screenplay for Luca Guadanino‘s upcoming tennis drama Challengers.
Kuritzkes will adapt the novel for the screen from the book trilogy by famed author Don Winslow. Based on the first book in the trilogy, City on Fire will star Butler as Danny Ryan, who becomes embroiled in a struggle between two criminal families in New England, according to a synopsis of the film. Everything changes when a modern-day Helen of Troy tears them apart and starts a brutal war. From there, Danny is forced to grow from a street soldier into a ruthlessly efficient leader to protect his friends, his family, and the home he loves. Fighting the Mafia, the local cops, the feds – everyone – Danny is determined to build a dynasty or die trying.
The novel series serves as a modern retelling of the classic Greek works the Iliad and the Odyssey. While development on additional films has not been officially announced, the third and final book in Winslow‘s trilogy, City in Ruins, was published this past March, so it is possible the rest of the series could be greenlit. Butler will produce for the first time in his career alongside David Heyman for Heyday Films and Shane Salerno for The Story Factory. The film won’t be completely new territory for Butler, as he previously worked with Sony during his breakout role in Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Kuritzkes Is Best Known for ‘Challengers’
The script for City on Fire will likely be in good hands with Kuritzkes, who broke out writing the screenplay for Challengers. The film, which is in theaters later this month, stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, and is a romantic drama centered around the world of professional tennis. Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia, in March and has received acclaim from critics, with Collider‘s Ross Bonaime saying in his review that the film had an “excellent script” that provided “Zendaya’s finest performance so far, one that allows her to be powerful, sexy, and a puppet master of sorts — all in equal measure.”
Kuritzkes isn’t done working with Guadanino, either; he also penned the script for Queer, an adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novel that Guadanino will direct. That film will star Daniel Craig alongside Drew Starkey and Lesley Manville.
No release window for City on Fire has been announced. Challengers is in theaters in the U.S. on April 26.
via Collider