Ben Stiller, Jeremy Allen White Circling ‘Airman,’ A24 in Talks to Land World War II Survival Tale (Exclusive)
The nonfiction book The Lost Airman: A True Story of Escape From Nazi-Occupied France is flying once again, this time with the help of A-listers Ben Stiller and Jeremy Allen White, as well as A24, who are all in various stages of talks to bring the adaptation to the screen.
If deals make, Stiller will direct and produce the adaptation of the book written by Seth Meyerowitz which would star White. A24 is in negotiations to land the package, which will be titled simply Airman.
Stiller would also produce via his long-standing production banner Red Hour Films. Also producing will be John Lesher via his Le Grisbi Productions and P.J. van Sandwijk of Storyteller Productions. Jake Gyllenhaal, who was to have starred in an adaptation being developed in the late 2010s, remains involved as producer via his Nine Stories banner.
The 2016 book tells the incredible true story of Arthur Meyerowitz, an American turret-gunner whose B-24 bomber was shot down over Vichy France in 1943. While hiding in the French countryside, Meyerowitz befriended Marcel Talliander, the founder of the legendary French resistance group Reseau Morhange, who helped shelter the man from the Gestapo through his secret network. After six months of barely evading capture, an escape plan was hatched that saw the soldier cross into Spain and eventual freedom.
Ben Shattuck wrote the screenplay.
If all deals come together, the plan would be to start production in early 2027.
The project will mark a return to feature filmmaking for Stiller, who for the last few years has immersed himself in series work. He emerged as one of the creative forces of the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance, directing 11 of its episodes and serving as one of its exec producers. The show’s second season heads into the Emmys later this month with 27 nominations, the most of any show this year. Prior to Severance, he directed Escape at Dannemora, the acclaimed prison break miniseries that earned him a DGA Award as well as an Emmy nomination. The last feature he helmed was 2016’s Zoolander 2.
White is deep in this year’s festival circuit and awards season thanks to his starring turn portraying Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me Nowhere, Scott Cooper’s drama from 20th Century Studios. The movie premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last week, with White’s performance generating strong notices and awards chatter. The actor is also heading to the Emmys, hoping for a third consecutive win for his work in the outstanding lead actor category for FX’s The Bear.
Stiller and White are repped by WME.
