Robert De Niro has committed to making Franchise Pictures’ “City by the Sea,” a $60 million thriller, part of which Barry Baeres’ German company Intertainment will finance.
Based on a true story, “City” centers on the son of an executed death-row inmate who becomes a detective only to have his own son become a murderer.
Michael Caton-Jones (“Rob Roy”) is attached to direct from a script by Ken Hixon, which was based on an Esquire magazine article penned by the late Mike McAlary.
Pic will be produced by Elie Samaha, Brad Grey and Matt Baer. Exec producers are Roger Paradiso and Dan Klores. Co-producer is Laura Viederman.
De Niro will be seen next opposite Ben Stiller in the Universal/DreamWorks comedy “Meet the Parents” from helmer Jay Roach (“Austin Powers”).
De Niro is repped by CAA.
