By Stone Martindale Feb 17, 2007, 16:39 GMT
Los Angeles - Disney studios and uber producer Jerry Bruckheimer have bought the screen rights to "Jihadists in Paradise," the true story of the emergence in the Philippines of the Islamic terrorist faction Abu Sayyaf and one of its leaders, Aldam Tilao, Variety reported Friday.
Jerry Bruckheimer - © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi
"Jihadists in Paradise" details the emergence in the Philippines of the Islamic terrorist faction Abu Sayyaf and one of its leaders, Aldam Tilao. Tilao put his group on the map by sneaking by boat into a diving resort and taking 20 hostages, including three Americans.
The film is based on an article written by journalist Mark Bowden that was published in the March issue of Atlantic Monthly. Bowden is set to pen the screenplay.
Other Bowden articles including "Guests of the Ayatollah" and "Killing Pablo" are in development. Bowden is also writing a drama for Imagine and Paramount.
The article details the first major raid conducted by Tilao, who infiltrated a diving resort and took the 20 hostages, including three Americans.
He and his group beheaded one of them and dragged the other two, a missionary couple, through the jungles for a year and a half before they were tracked down and killed.
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