'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
The American film studio Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to film an account of the diamond theft in the Antwerp Diamond Center in the northern port city in 2003. The studio has snapped up the rights to the account by journalist Joshua Davis.
Thieves are believed to have got away with 100 million dollars’ worth of booty.
The motion picture will be produced by J.J. Abrams, the man behind "Lost". He may also direct the movie.
It remains unclear how much Paramount paid for the rights.
The tale of the 2003 diamond heist is being published in the magazine Weird on 24 March.
Joshua Davis managed to get Leonardo Notarbartolo, the leader of the Italian gang that carried out the theft, to tell his story while he was languishing in a penitentiary in Hasselt (Limburg).
Notarbartolo was sentenced to ten years in prison for his part in the heist.
The booty has never been recovered. Notarbartolo was recently released on parole.
You can already read Joshua Davis’ account on the Wired website.
flandersnews.be/expatica