Julian Assange - Russian Movie Star?

Oh dear - how far has Julian strayed from the WikiLeaks work. I suppose one must earn a living? And Russia has opened her arms with a visa.Interesting!!

Assange declassified: biopic in works
EXCLUSIVE: Josephson Entertainment, Michelle Krumm Prods option rights
By Dave McNary

A biopic on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, billed by producers as a suspenseful drama "thriller," is heading for the bigscreen.

Josephson Entertainment and Michelle Krumm Prods. have jointly optioned feature rights to Australian reporter Andrew Fowler's upcoming biography "The Most Dangerous Man in the World."

Tome, to be published later this year by Melbourne U. Publishing Ltd., is an in-depth look at Assange from his childhood to the current day with the anti-secrecy Wiki-Leaks "revolution."

Fowler first interviewed Assange last May. Michelle Krumm will produce along with Barry Josephson ("Enchanted," Fox's "Bones"). L.H. Adonis will co-produce.

Assange founded the Wiki-Leaks site in 2006 and has published secret U.S. diplomatic cables about American involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and materials about toxic waste dumping in Africa and Guantanamo Bay procedures plus Church of Scientology manuals.

"As soon as I met Andrew and read a few chapters of his profound book, I knew that -- with his incredibly extensive depth of knowledge -- it would enable us to bring a thought-provoking thriller to the screen," Krumm said.

Josephson said, "Like 'All the President's Men' in its day, 'The Most Dangerous Man in the World' is this generation's suspenseful drama with global impact."

Krumm launched her production banner in 2009 after serving as exec VP and head of acquisitions and co-production at the Weinstein Co.

She exec produced "All Good Things" and "Bobby."

Josephson's other producing credits include "Hide and Seek" and "Life as We Know It."

Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

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Julian Assange gets Russian visa
Founder of the controversial website WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has been granted a Russian visa and plans to visit the country soon.

­The visit may happen in a couple of weeks, reports the Russian News Service citing WikiLeaks supporter and friend of Assange, Israel Shamir. No details of the agenda and schedule have been disclosed. However, by that time a Russia-based pro-WikiLeaks NGO currently being established is likely to get its official registration.

Assange is now in Great Britain, where he faces possible extradition to Sweden. The Scandinavian country wants him for alleged sex crimes. With the next court hearing scheduled for February 7, Assange may be able to visit Russia in three weeks, but only if the Swedish extradition request is turned down by Britain.

WikiLeaks gained worldwide publicity in 2010 after making public thousands of confidential documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the diplomatic cables of the US State Department.

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