KNIFE is picked up and likened to AMERICAN GANGSTER

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have picked up the Guy Lawson penned article The Knife which will be published in January's issue of GQ magazine. The true crime story focuses on two men on oppsosite sides of the law who begin to form a bond with each other. Both Universal and Imagine will be hoping to attract the same directing and acting talent that they put together for American Gangster, which also focused on two men on opposite sides of the law and was similarlity picked up because of a magazine article.

Title refers to the code name given to a Crips member in South Central who became an informant and collaborated for a decade with FBI agent Tim Flaherty to crack murder, drug and arms-deal cases. Brian Grazer will produce, with Paul de Souza and Henry Beane exec producing. Life rights for the gang member (whose identity is being kept secret) and Flaherty are part of the deal brokered by Hotchkiss and Associates.

Interestingly the deal has come after Lawson has just found his crime book The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia picked up by HBO for the mini-series treatment. That series will focus on a different but still true tale of a New York police detective who helped build a case against ex-NYPD cops Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito,who were convicted of moonlighting as murderers for an organized crime family. Back to The Knife, and if it's half as good as American Gangster which opens today in the U.S. (and you really have to see it guys) then this will be a great movie. source - variety