‘The Fighter’ Writing Duo Obtain Rights to Boston Marathon Film

By  · Published on July 11th, 2013

‘The Fighter’ Writing Duo Obtain Rights to Boston Marathon Film

It has been nearly three months since the tragic bombings rocked the city of Boston during its annual marathon, so there will be a film commemorating the event, just in case anyone’s memory was starting to get fuzzy.

Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, the writing duo behind another heartwarming Boston tale, The Fighter, have obtained the rights to Boston Strong, a yet-to-be published book by Boston Herald reporters Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. The book chronicles the horrific events that took place during the marathon and in the aftermath, as well as the subsequent manhunt for the two Tsarnaev brothers, the criminals believed to be responsible for the bombings.

It’s a compelling story, undoubtedly – and one that just happened. With the 24/7 media circus surrounding the bombing, the four-day manhunt and the weeks following the event, it’s safe to say that nobody is questioning Boston’s strength at this time. Securing film rights seems a tad opportunistic. But with Boston Strong not even appearing on bookshelves until 2014, it’s likely that there will not be an emotional, yet stoic dramatization that reminds us why we love this country hitting theatres for another couple years.

So for now, with the largest plot details already outlined by history, and the writers in place, it’s only natural to speculate on casting the Bostonians taking part in this project. One or both Whalbergs? Ben Affleck and Matt Damon? Tamasy wrote Air Bud, and there was definitely a police dog or two hunting down Tsarnaev. It pays to have Hollywood connections.

When Boston Strong is completed, and work on the actual film can begin, Johnson and Tamasy are faced with the difficult task of keeping their film tasteful and respectful to the victims it depicts. Even two years after its injured, a city can still have open wounds.