Right now there is a Hollywood movie being made of the book The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots of a Hidden War (to read a chapter, go here) that was written by two surviving members Pulitzer prize-winner Greg Marinovich and now New York Times photographer Joao Silva. The story is a compelling one of great and fraught friendships, of bravery in the face of enormous dangers, camaraderie, survival and of a shared determination to tell the story of South Africa through their photographs, no matter the cost. And it was steep. Ken Oosterbroek was shot dead in Tokoza (an East Rand township) in 1994 while Kevin Carter Carter committed suicide that year soon after winning a Pulitzer prize for a photograph that became a great source of controversy.

The movie will start Hollywood A-listers like Ryan Phillipe and Malin Akerman — who was in The Times office a few days ago to catch up with the character she is playing, extremely talented and supremely gorgeous photo editor Robin Comley.

From The Times

Hollywood actors
The Bang Bang Club stars Hollywood actors Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch. Phillippe plays Marinovich, Akerman plays a photo editor, and Kitsch plays Carter. Silva is played by South African actor Neels van Jaarsveld and Oosterbroek is played by South African-born actor, Frank Rauthenbach.

The movie is based on the book of the same name, written by Marinovich and Silva, the two surviving photojournalists of the Bang Bang Club.

Marinovich describes a scene in the first chapter of the book: “Earlier that morning we had been working the back streets and alleys of Thokoza township’s devastated no-man’s-land that we – Ken Oosterbroek, Kevin Carter, Joao and I – had become so familiar with over the years of chasing confrontations between police, soldiers, modern-day Zulu warriors and Kalashnikov-toting youngsters as apartheid came to its bloody end.”

Marinovich describes how he got shot in the chest, but also how Oosterbroek was fatally shot in the same township confrontation. “The boys were no longer untouchable, and, before the bloodstains faded from the concrete beside the wall, another of us would be dead.”

Silver identifies with the story. He said in a recent interview; “I identify with people who journey to unusual destinations and who return with unusual stories. That’s their job and it’s a service I provide as well.”

Silver has been working on the script for the six to seven years, and has written 18 drafts of the script. The movie is to be a feature film not a documentary.

From Joburg

E1 Entertainment today announced that Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch have signed on to star in the The Bang Bang Club, a Canada/South Africa co-production from producer Daniel Iron of Foundry Films Inc. and Lance Samuels and Adam Friedlander of Out Of Africa Inc. Steven Silver will direct the drama, which will be distributed worldwide by E1 Entertainment.

The Bang Bang Club was the name given to four young photographers; Greg Marinovich (Ryan Phillippe), Kevin Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek and Joao Silva, whose photographs captured the final bloody days of white rule in South Africa. Two were awarded Pulitzer Prizes for their acclaimed work. The film tells the remarkable and sometimes harrowing story of these young men – and the extraordinary extremes they went to in order to capture their pictures. Anna (Malin Akerman) is their photo-editor, who looked out for them, protected them and made sure their photographs were seen across the world. Based on the book by Marinovich and Silva, The Bang Bang Club tells the true story of these four young men, recounting their relationships with each other and the stresses, tensions and moral dilemmas of working in situations of extreme violence, pain and suffering. It is also the story of the final demise of apartheid and the birth of a new South Africa.

“We are proud to be the worldwide distributor of this amazing story that shows the many complex facets of humanity, and to have such a talented cast portraying the lives of these fearless individuals,” said Patrice Theroux E1′s President of Filmed Entertainment.

As an actor, producer, and writer, Ryan Phillippe has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young talents. His credits include “Gosford Park,” the Oscar(R) nominated “Crash,” “Flags of our Fathers,” “Breach” and “Stop Loss.” Ryan recently appeared in the neo-noir film “Franklyn” opposite Eva Green and will next up star in “Last Battle Dreamer” with Sean Bean.

Malin Akerman is fast becoming one of the industry’s busiest young actresses and is currently starring as Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II in “Watchmen.” Her previous credits include “27 Dresses,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” “The Comeback” and “Entourage.” She will next be seen in “The Proposal,” due out this summer, and will star in “Couples Retreat” with Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman and Jon Favreau in 2009.

Taylor Kitsch is best known for his role as Tim Riggins in the critically acclaimed series “Friday Night Lights.” He will next be seen as Gambit in the eagerly anticipated X-Men prequel “X Men Origins: Wolverine” in theaters May 1st. Taylor’s previous credits include “Gospel Hill,” starring alongside Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, Julia Stiles, and Danny Glover. Other credits include “The Covenant,” “Snakes on a Plane” and “John Tucker Must Die.” He is represented by Endeavor and Untitled Entertainment.

Steven Silver is an award-winning writer/director whose credits include such acclaimed documentary titles as “The Last Just Man,” “Diameter of the Bomb,” and animated documentary television series “The Dark Years.” He was the executive producer of the dramatic feature “Shake Hands with the Devil” and has won over 30 international awards including an Emmy(R), a Writers Guild Award and multiple Gemini and Audience awards at film and television festivals around the world. “The Bang Bang Club” marks Steven’s dramatic feature directorial debut.

The Bang Bang Club is produced by Foundry Films Inc.’s Daniel Iron (“Away From Her,” “Cairo Time”) and Lance Samuels and Adam Friedlander of Out Of Africa Inc. with financing from Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), The Harold Greenberg Fund and Instinctive/Riot Entertainment. The screenplay was written by Steven Silver. Principal photography is occurring in and around Johannesburg, South Africa and is scheduled to be completed on May 1st, 2009.

From PR News Wire

According to Variety this is one of Malin’s next projects!

“Watchmen” star Malin Akerman and Ryan Phillippe will star in indie drama “The Bang Bang Club,” set in apartheid-era South Africa. South African documaker Steven Silver wrote the script based on a memoir by Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva and will direct.

Akerman will star as a photo editor of the so-called Bang Bang Club, four combat war photogs — Marinovich (Phillippe), Kevin Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek and Silva — whose photographs captured the final bloody days of white rule in South Africa.

Film is a Canada/South Africa co-production and will be distributed worldwide by E1 Entertainment.

Foundry Films’ Daniel Iron (“Away From Her”) is producing alongside Out of Africa’s Lance Samuels and Adam Friedlander. Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corp., the Harold Greenberg Fund and Instinctive/Riot Entertainment are financing.

Lensing will begin next month in and around Johannesburg.