NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Phillip Noyce is in negotiations to direct "The Art of Making Money," a DreamWorks project about a notorious counterfeiter who printed more than $10 million in fake bills. The Australian filmmaker, most recently in theaters with the 2006 political thriller "Catch a Fire," has been eyeing as many as four projects during the past few weeks, of which "Money" is one.
The DreamWorks project centers on Art Williams, the alias of an audacious Chicago counterfeiter who printed fake $100 bills using cutting-edge techniques and continued to do so even after he had been caught by the FBI. Last year, he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
The project is based on Jason Kersten's 2005 profile of Williams in Rolling Stone magazine, with Kersten and Williams also under contract to write a book about the counterfeiter's colorful life.
During his 30-year career, Noyce has worked on a diverse number of projects, from commercial films such as "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger" to prestige films like "Rabbit-Proof Fence," "The Quiet American" and "Catch a Fire."
Next up for Noyce is the period drama "Mary Queen of Scots," starring Scarlett Johansson. It is set for release this year via Paramount Vantage.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter