In a competitive situation, Amazon MGM Studios has secured film rights to “Code Black,” a new short story by Harrison Query, for seven figures guaranteed, sources tell Deadline. The deal is believed to be one of the biggest of all time for a short story.
Scott Glassgold of 12:01 Films brought the package into Jake Gyllenhaal‘s Nine Stories, which will develop the political thriller as a starring vehicle for the Oscar nominee, under its first-look deal with the studio.
In Code Black, the country’s top heart surgeon is flown to D.C. to perform a high-stakes operation, finding himself led into a trap where his guile and genius become the only way to stop a plot that threatens both his family and the nation.
In addition to Gyllenhaal and Josh McLaughlin for Nine Stories, producers in talks include Lynn Harris and Matt Reeves for 6th & Idaho, and Glassgold for 12:01. Query will adapt the screenplay.
After exec producing and starring in Apple’s Presumed Innocent and seeing the critically acclaimed series break out as one of Apple’s most-watched dramas of all time, Gyllenhaal is back on board to exec produce a second season. Previously, his Nine Stories has produced lauded titles like The Guilty, Wildlife and Stronger, among others. Upcoming, he also has the Guy Ritchie-directed sequel to his hit Road House remake for Amazon MGM, where he’s both starring and producing. The first film had a record-breaking debut on Prime Video with over 50 million viewers in its first two weekends on the service.
