EXCLUSIVE: Following a competitive bidding war, Lionsgate has closed a deal for the novel Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride by Will Leitch with Garrett Basch producing. The book will be published by Harper in May. Leitch will serve as an executive producer.
The story revolves around Lloyd McNeil, who has just learned he has months to live. He also learns that his twenty years as a beat cop in Atlanta haven’t earned him enough money to take care of his teenage son, Bishop, after he’s gone. But when Lloyd discovers his police benefits will increase exponentially if he dies in the line of duty, he comes up with a plan. Lloyd begins to throw himself into one life-threatening situation after another to try to get himself killed in order to provide for his son . . .
James Myers is overseeing the project for Lionsgate. Dan Freedman negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio.
“With audiences desperate for more original and authentic stories worthy of the big screen, we couldn’t be more excited to be the home for Will Leitch’s truly original tale following the indelible Lloyd McNeil,” said Erin Westerman, co-president, Lionsgate Motion Picture GroupThrough action, humor and great pathos, his book serves at once as both a manual and an inspiration for how to live life to the fullest.”
Leitch is best known for founding the late sports website Deadspin. He is a contributing editor at New York magazine, a columnist for The Washington Post and a national correspondent for MLB.com. He is the author of six previous books, including How Lucky, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. He is represented Mark Tavani at the David Black Agency and WME.
Basch work includes the Emmy Award-winning series What We Do in the Shadows, The Night Of, and Ripley, along with other notable series such as Our Flag Means Death, Time Bandits, Devs, Dispatches from Elsewhere, Barkskins, Diagnosis, Interior Chinatown, and the two-time Peabody Award-winning Reservation Dogs. His films include Steve James’ acclaimed documentary Life Itself, Taylor Sheridan’s Those Who Wish Me Dead, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins and the upcoming Klara and the Sun. Basch’s company, Dive, has a longstanding first-look deal with FX Networks, where upcoming projects together include the new Tulsa noir series from Sterlin Harjo and starring Ethan Hawke. He is represented by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.