Story follows a Brinks Security Guard who Steals $1.85 million and Makes the Most Expensive Gay Porno of All-Time
In a competitive situation, Valparaiso Pictures has acquired the rights to Ashley and April Spicer’s highly sought-after article in the Daily Beast, “‘Centurians of Rome’: How a Bank Robber Made the Most Expensive Gay Porno of All Time.” Valparaiso’s David Carrico, Adam Paulsen, and Bobby Hoppey will develop the story into a feature film and produce alongside Academy Award Nominee David Permut (Hacksaw Ridge, Face/Off) at Permut Presentations, and Adam Blum under his Free Will banner. The team is looking to set a writer and filmmaker on the project.
The March 2019 story chronicles George Bosque, a Brink’s security guard who stole $1.85 million and disappeared into thin air. During his time on the run, he produced/financed Centurians of Rome, a classic 1981 gay pornographic film set during the Roman Empire made before being apprehended by police. A young aggressive attorney named Robert Mueller, prosecuted the case.
“Ashley and April wrote a compelling article – which carefully peels away to reveal the wildly unique character arc of George Bosque, who notoriously went from security guard, to bank robber to producer after he presented Centurians director John Christopher with a bag of cash. We knew how special this story was even before we finished reading the article,” said Valparaiso’s David Carrico.
“The complexities of George’s character set against the backdrop of the sexual freedoms of the late 1970’s before the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic creates a multi-layered tale of ambition, love, crime and despair. It’s Dog Day Afternoon meets Boogie Nights!” said David Permut. “I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with the team at Valparaiso and Adam Blum on this provocative project.”
Known by many as the PHD’s of porn, Ashley and April Spicer currently act as consultants on HBO’s “The Deuce” and are the founders of The Rialto Report, the authoritative online archive for oral history, audio recordings, and photographs documenting the Golden Age of Adult Film.
Valparaiso Pictures is quickly expanding its development and production portfolio. They are currently in pre-production on Ethan Berger’s coming-of-age thriller The Line, starring Alex Wolff, John Malkovich, Scoot McNairy, Jessica Barden, and Lewis Pullman; as well as developing the upcoming spy action comedy No Glory starring Kumail Nanjiani. The company recently premiered The Sound of Silence starring Peter Sarsgaard and Rashida Jones in competition at Sundance 2019 where it was recently acquired by IFC.
David Permut has always had a passion for true stories. Permut Presentations most recent productions include Hacksaw Ridge (Lionsgate) starring Andrew Garfield, and The Polka King (Netflix) starring Jack Black. The company is currently in production on a documentary that follows the creation of the famous nightclub Chippendales, which will serve as a companion piece for the feature film starring Ben Stiller and Dev Patel which is set to go into production later this year.
The Spicers’ are repped by Free Will and Murray Weiss of Catalyst Literary Management. Valparaiso Pictures is represented by Craig Emanuel of Paul Hastings. Permut Presentations is represented by John Tishbi at Pearlman & Tishbi, LLP. Adam Blum is represented Matt Wallerstein at Hirsch, Wallerstein, Hyum, Matlof, & Fishman.
About Valparaiso Pictures
Based in Beverly Hills, Valparaiso Pictures is a development, production and finance company for film and television, founded by David Carrico. Whether it’s finding untold stories to bring to the screen or enabling burgeoning writers and filmmakers to take creative risks, Valparaiso creates opportunities for distinct voices in drama, comedy and genre. The company is an incubator for edgy, eccentric and diverse content, enabling creatives to find their audience.
ABOUT PERMUT PRESENTATIONS
Permut Presentations was founded by Emmy and Academy Award Nominated Producer, David Permut. In the last 30 years, Permut has produced more than 40 movies and documentaries, crossing genre lines while working with major studios, TV networks and independent financiers. David has premiered films at all of the major film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, SXSW and Tribeca.
