The Big Picture
- A24 secures film rights to Ben Mezrich’s
Checkmate
amid high competition, offering undisclosed seven-figure deal. - Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder collaborate on film adaptation of 2022 chess match scandal between Carlsen and Niemann.
- A24, known for hits like
Everything Everywhere All At Once
, continues success with upcoming project directed by Fielder.
The Curse stars, Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder are teaming up with production company, A24 to produce Checkmate, a film based on Ben Mezrich‘s book proposal about the controversial 2022 chess match between Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and rising star, Hans Niemann.
According to Variety, acquiring the film rights was competitive, with numerous streaming platforms and studios expressing interest in the project. It was reported that A24 offered an undisclosed seven-figure offer to grab hold of the project and that the deals are still in the works. Meanwhile, insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that A24 gave its offer a “30-minute timer” and were shocked that it was “swiftly accepted.” Fielder is reported to direct the project, with Stone and her partner, Dave McCarry set to produce.
Checkmate isn’t the first book that Mezrich wrote that received an adaptation. Some of his other works led to films. For example, The Antisocial Network was adapted to the 2023 film, Dumb Money, starring Pete Davidson and Vincent D’Onofrio. Another was 2010’s Oscar-winning film, The Social Network, which was based on The Accidental Billionaires.
A24 has produced numerous successful projects in the past, with one of its most successful films being 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. The film is the production company’s current highest-grossing film, earning a total box-office gross of over $144 million. The film also won numerous Oscar Awards in 2023, including “Best Actress”, “Best Supporting Actor”, and “Best Picture,” just to name a few. Recently, A24 released a dystopian war film called Civil War and has earned over $66 million worldwide, making it the fifth-biggest highest grossing film in A24’s history.
What is ‘Checkmate’ Based On?
Mezrich’s 12-page Checkmate book proposal follows the “biggest scandal in the history of chess.” Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating, which led to a dismissed $100 lawsuit, according to The Guardian. The accusation was made during the September 2022 Sinquefield Cup, after Carlsen pulled out of a major tournament for the first time in his career.
While Carlsen didn’t specify how Neimann cheated, he did admit to doing so over on the chess website, Chess.com, but never in person. The website then released a 72-page report, stating that the teenager had “likely cheated” during online matches.’
Checkmate has yet to release an official release date.
