Director Dana Adam Shapiro has joined Little Minx@RSA Films for representation. Shapiro co-directed (with Henry Alex Rubin) and served as a producer on Murderball, a documentary about quadriplegic rugby players who go on to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens.
Murderball was an Oscar nominee for best documentary feature and received assorted honors, including the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Beyond filmmaking, Shapiro’s experience also includes having served as editor of Spin, a founder of Icon magazine, and as a novelist.
On the latter score, Shapiro’s The Every Boy (Houghton Mifflin) tells the story of a 15-year-old boy’s death and his father’s attempt to learn about his son through his diaries. Plan B Entertainment, Brad Pitt’s production company, and Paramount Pictures plan to make the book into a film. Shapiro is slated to write and direct the adaptation.
Rhea Scott, president of Little Minx, said that she was put in touch with Shapiro by RSA Films’ president Jules Daly. Scott was impressed with Shapiro’s work and personal demeanor. “He was straightforward, sharp, not full of himself at all, and just very smart,” said Scott of Shapiro.
Scott added that by being a documentary filmmaker, Shapiro brings an extra dimension to the Little Minx roster. The director conversely is looking forward to the extra dimension–in terms of depth of production support and access to varied talent–that Little Minx can provide him. He noted, “For Murderball, we shot more than 200 hours of digital footage over two-and-a-half years with a two man crew. So when Rhea started talking about DPs, ADs, ACs, PAs, gaffers, grips, storyboards, I felt like a kid walking into the chocolate factory.”
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More