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Daily News
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New York Banners Gather on Street
GreeneStreet and Killer to team up for adaptation on James McManus' Positively
Fifth Street.
Thursday, October 9, 2003
By Liz Jeffries
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GreeneStreet Films and Killer Films, two of New York's leading independent
film production companies, are coming together for their first collaboration.
The companies are preparing an adaptation of James McManus' bestseller Positively
Fifth Street and have hired John Ridley to adapt and helm.
Much like Hunter S. Thompson and his Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,
McManus checked into a Vegas hotel to cover the World Series of Poker for Harper's
magazine. Rather than just spectate as a reporter, McManus used his Harper's
advance to enter the tournament and wound up finishing in fifth place. Along
the way, he became deeply interested in the murder case against a stripper and
her boyfriend, both accused of killing the stripper's finace Ted Binion, the
son of a wealthy Vegas gaming family. His fascination with the case led him
into the seedy underworld of real Vegas poker.
GreeneStreet's John Penotti and Fisher Stevens will produce with Killer's Christine
Vachon and Brad Simpson. Marit Weisenberg of Ridley's International Famous Players
Radio Picture Corp. will also produce, with John Wells executive producing.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux published the book in April.
Ridley, a regular commentator for NPR, has screenwriting credits with Three
Kings, U Turn and Undercover Brother. He is currently attached
to direct Let Me Take You Down for Lions Gate.
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