Mandalay Vision nabs screen rights to “Preemptive Strike” cold war novel

PanARMENIAN.Net - Mandalay Vision has acquired screen rights to the John H. Scully novel Preemptive Strike, Deadline said.

Mandalay Vision is teaming to produce it with the author’s Della Heights Productions, and they have set Paranoia and Vantage Point scribe Barry L. Levy to adapt.

Inspired by true events, the novel is a Cold War action thriller about what could have become one of the most dangerous moments during the back and forth between the U.S. and Soviet Union. At a time when the latter’s nuclear missile program was far ahead of America, a young FBI agent was tasked with hunting down a Soviet double agent to protect a critical piece of technology from falling into Russian hands. It could have tipped the scales disastrously and the son of ex-Premier Nikita Khrushchev recently confirmed it actually happened. The book was published in 2010.

“It’s rare to find source material that combines great storytelling with international intrigue and impeccably researched history,” Rhodes said, while Scully called the vision of the movie “The Bourne Identity meets JFK.”

"A well researched, tense tale of cold war espionage, as two superpowers vied for nuclear supremacy. The author's care for history and suspenseful conclusion make this bit of fiction a great read--a terrific first effort." George J. Tenet a former director of Central Intelligence Agency said.