Netflix has acquired the legal drama “Monsanto,” a buzzy package from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “Saving Mr. Banks”) directed the movie, which stars Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern.
“Monsanto” tells the true story of young upstart lawyer Brent Wisner (Powell), who took on the court case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s product Roundup, a top-selling weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers (Dern), testifies that Roundup is safe. Hancock also wrote the screenplay with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc.
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“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world,” Hancock said prior to the film’s sale. “My ambitions are to deliver a smart, thoughtful and commercial legal drama that takes the audience on a human journey.”
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Powell, whose star has been rising thanks to the surprise box office success of “Anyone but You” and upcoming action-comedy “Hit Man,” says he’s “always been fascinated by true stories of ordinary people against extraordinary odds.”
“This story encapsulates that spirit with a critical issue that affects us all,” Powell said. “And it’s a privilege to bring it to audiences with an exceptional filmmaker and powerful cast.”
Producers were Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Jon Levin, Philip Schulz-Deyle, and Adam McKay and Kevin Messick. Rocket Science represented the international rights and introduced the project at Cannes while CAA Media Finance repped in the U.S. and negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers