Par, Carnahan high over 'Killing Pablo'

Pic based on Bowden's book about narcotics trafficker

By DAVE MCNARY

Carnahan

Paramount and DreamWorks are bringing "Killing Pablo" to life. Studios are co-financing the tale of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and have tapped "Narc" writer-director Joe Carnahan to script and helm.

Project, based on Mark Bowden's book "Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw," details the rise and fall of the ruthless narcotics trafficker. Escobar amassed a $4 billion fortune before being targeted in a massive campaign by U.S. and Colombian governments that culminated in his death in 1993.

The "Pablo" project will be the first for Stratus Films, which launched last year with the goal of developing mid-budget pics and signed Mark Gill as president following his departure as Miramax Los Angeles prexy. Company is bankrolled by real estate developer Bob Yari, who is partnered with producer Mark Gordon.

"On this picture, in view of the passion for the project shown by the two studios, we have uncharacteristically elected to let them finance the film-and will serve as producers," Gill said.

Carnahan is expected to complete the script in May with lensing to begin in the second half of this year.

Par will handle domestic, and DreamWorks will take foreign while production credits go to Stratus, Gregory Nava's El Norte Prods. and Antonio Banderas' Green Moon Prods. Gordon, Yari and Jason Zelin will produce; Gill and Nava will exec produce; Diane Sillan Isaacs and Lourdes Diaz will co-exec produce.

Carnahan won strong notices for "Narc" along with indie feature "Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" and an installment of BMW's film series "The Hire." He is also attached to direct "A Walk Among the Tombstones," the story of a private eye hired by a drug dealer to find out who murdered his wife, for Jersey Films and Universal.

Carnahan is repped by Endeavor and managed by 360 Management, the firm created last year by managers Suzan Bymel, Evelyn O'Neill, Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Casady, Eric Kranzler and David Seltzer.

Par and DreamWorks recently agreed to split financing on "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events" (Daily Variety, Jan. 13) and previously partnered on "Deep Impact" and "Saving Private Ryan." DreamWorks exec Michael De Luca and Claire Rudnick-Pollstein will oversee "Pablo."