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Milos Forman to Helm 'Ponzi's Scheme' About Infamous Scam Artist

by
April 27, 2011
Source: Variety

Milos Forman / Ponzi's Scheme

In the world of scams, there's one name that always stands out, so it's no surprise that Ponzi's Scheme will be given the feature film treatment. Variety reports veteran filmmaker Milos Forman, that man behind such iconic films as Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest will direct this story about the real-life of Italian immigrant Charles Ponzi, creator of the eponymous financial scam and the precursor to today's biggest financial scam artists like Madoff and Kenneth Lay. And if that wasn't enticing enough, the script comes from writer Christopher Weekes whose script Muppet Man appeared on the 2009 Black List.

The film will actually be based on Mitchell Zuckoff's biography Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend which is summed up right here:

Before Charles Ponzi (1882â€"1949) sailed from Italy to the shores of America in 1903, his father assured him that the streets were really paved with gold - and that Ponzi would be able to get a piece. As journalist Zuckoff observes in this engaging and fast-paced biography, Ponzi learned as soon as he disembarked that though the streets were often cobblestone, he could still make a fortune in a culture caught in the throes of the Gilded Age. Zuckoff deftly chronicles Ponzi's mercurial rise and fall as he conjured up one get-rich-quick scheme after another. Charming, gregarious and popular, Ponzi devised and carried out the scheme that carries his name in 1920 in the open (and with a brief period of approval from Boston's newspapers and financial sector). Many investors did indeed double their investments, as Ponzi would use money of new investors to pay old investors, and Ponzi himself became a millionaire.

Sounds like there's a great story to be told for sure. And even if Forman hasn't reached the same level of quality filmmaking in the past ten years that he's harnessed in decades before, I personally love Man on the Moon back in 1999, and know he still has a gift for working behind the camera. And with this story, I feel like there's a tale along the lines of The Social Network that can come to life on the big screen. That sounds just fine by me. How about you?

Find more posts: Development, Movie News

4 Comments

1

Here's someone worse than Madoff, read this and forward it to everyone you know: http://texsquixtarblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-worse-bernie-madoff-or-rich.html

TexTex on Apr 27, 2011

2

he picks his films carefully and makes singular cinema. for One Flew over The Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, i give him the benefit of the doubt on any new film he makes. in the wrong hands the subject matter could be a little dry, but with this talent involved, colour me very interested.

Anonymous on Apr 28, 2011

3

Sweet bastard this could be amazing. And since it's Forman, no doubt the cast will be superb.

Lebowski on Apr 28, 2011

4

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