Par 'Going West'
The studio paid an estimated $ 1 million against $ 2 million in a deal for Stuart to rewrite his seven-year-old script and serve as executive producer, sources said.
His agent, UTA's Jeremy Zimmer, was unavailable for comment; Paramount says the figure was lower.
Stuart is about the hottest screenwriter in Hollywood this side of "Jurassic Park's" David Koepp, which explains why the value of "Going West" has gone north so radically.
The script concerns a Philadelphia cop who tracks a killer through the Southwest, and Fox almost bought it two years ago as a vehicle for Steven Seagal. But Stuart, who wrote "Die Hard," is in high demand following the success of "The Fugitive," which he rewrote.
The screenwriter recently finished rewriting Par's skydiving actioner "Drop Zone," which John Badham will direct, and is currently scripting the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series, based on an idea by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. After telling Lansing how he was going to rewrite his earlier work and submit it on the spec market, she took it off the market.
"He submitted the script to Sherry and presented his new approach to the movie, and she thought it was incredible," said Paramount production head John Goldwyn. "The studio, along with John Badham, was delighted with the draft of 'Drop Zone' he turned in, and we very much want to continue being in business with him."
