'Frost/Nixon' Playwright Peter Morgan to Pen Ron Howard Film

Deadline reports exclusively that "Frost/Nixon" playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan will pen the screenplay for Ron Howard's upcoming drama THE HEART OF THE SEA. The project is an adaptaton of Nataniel Philbrick's novel.

The film marks a reunion for Howard and Morgan who previously worked together on Frost/Nixon as well as the upcoming action film Rush. Morgan will work on redrafting the original screenplay from Charles Leavitt.

The drama follows the crew of the Whaleship Essex. According to the report, "it blends fact and fiction, describing in palpable detail how the ship was stalked and attacked by a sperm whale in 1820, leaving the crew adrift for 90 days and forced to turn to cannibalism. The Attack on the boat largely influenced Herman Melville's Moby Dick."

Principal photography is set to begin on September 10 on location in the UK.

Morgan received a Tony nomination for the script of Frost/Nixon. He also received Oscar nominations for the films "Frost/Nixon" and "The Queen." His upcoming projects include a boxing film with director Ang Lee and a project centered on controversial author Salman Rushdie.

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