Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, killed three people and injured 23 others by sending out multiple mail bombs between the years of 1978 and 1995, becoming the subject of the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the FBI. Now, Netflix and MRC are teaming up to make a thriller based on the story of the domestic terrorist, and Deadline reports that Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), and Annabelle Wallis (Malignant) have signed on to star in the film.
If you’re like me, your immediate assumption was that Russell Crowe would be playing Kaczynski, who was in his fifties when he was finally captured. But that’s not the case. It appears that a young Kaczynski is the primary focus of this story, and he will be played by the 18-year-old Jacob Tremblay.
Deadline lets us know that Unabom originated as a spec from Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves, who have developed the film alongside 2.0 Entertainment. The story follows Kaczynski’s (Tremblay) transformation from Harvard prodigy into the infamous Unabomber, who carried out a nationwide bombing campaign in the U.S. from 1978 to 1995, killing 3 people and injuring 23. Subjected to controversial psychological experiments by Professor Henry Murray (Crowe), Kaczynski’s troubled past resurfaces decades later when his manhunt, led by FBI agent Joanne Miller (Woodley), brings to light the chilling consequences of ambition and isolation.
Janus Metz, whose credits include Borg vs. McEnroe and All the Old Knives, the Amazon/Sky series ZeroZeroZero, and episodes of Andor and True Detective, is set to direct the film, which Sophie Cassidy is producing for 2.0 Entertainment, in association with MRC. Chalsen and Greaves serve as executive producers alongside Don Lee.
Chalsen and Greaves are also writing about a real-world figure for the Art Bell biopic that Radio Silence is working on, which has Paul Giamatti on board to play the paranormal DJ.
What do you think of Russell Crowe, Jacob Tremblay, Shailene Woodley, and Annabelle Wallis signing on to star in a Ted Kaczynski thriller for Janus Metz, Netflix, and MRC? Share your thoughts on Unabom by leaving a comment below.
