It’s been a while since Phil Alden Robinson made a film, either as writer or director. His last directorial effort was 2002’s decent Ben-Affleck-as-younger-Jack-Ryan thriller The Sum Of All Fears. But now he’s back behind the keyboard at least, working on the untitled heist project being developed by JJ Abrams and his Bad Robot mob.
Abrams nabbed the rights last year to Joshua Davis’ Wired article The Untold Story Of The World’s Biggest Diamond Heist, which chronicled the true developments behind a massive jewel robbery in Antwerp.
Seems that in 2003, a small gang of Italian thieves did an Ocean's Eleven on the seemingly impenetrable layers of security at the Antwerp Diamond Centre and got away with approximately $100 million in gems, jewellery and gold.
While the ringleader was caught and thrown in jail, he didn’t reveal how it was done until Davis tracked him down in a Belgian prison and got him to spill the details. In the course of getting the article published, he also picked up the man’s life rights.
So now, according to the Heat Vision Blog, Robinson – who this writer in particular will always appreciate for the genius that is 1992’s Sneakers – has been tasked with getting the script written. And while he’s not currently planning to direct it, we’d be happy to see him give it a shot.