Film alum Kevin McMullin '14 has sold his short story BOMB to 20th Century Studios in a competitive bidding war, with legendary director Ridley Scott attached to the project.
The action thriller, which McMullin will adapt for the screen, sparked a heated auction involving multiple major studios including Apple, Netflix, Sony, and Warner Bros. before landing at 20th.
“It's an honor to work with one of my cinematic heroes,” McMullin said. “Ridley elevates every script he directs and I am beyond excited to write for him.”
BOMB centers on Frankie Ippolito, a hostage negotiator called into action the night before his wedding in London. A man standing on an unexploded World War II bomb at a construction site in Piccadilly Circus demands to speak only with Frankie—setting off a tense overnight struggle.
Scott and his production company Scott Free will produce the film. The deal, reportedly in the low seven figures, includes both the short story rights and McMullin's writing services. While no production timeline has been set, the project is expected to be a priority for 20th Century Studios.
Prior to his feature directorial debut Low Tide, which was released by A24 in 2019, McMullin wrote and directed the short First Prize. His script First Harvest landed on the Black List. McMullin also founded the production company Boy And Star Productions.
Ridley Scott is a British filmmaker renowned for iconic films like Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and The Martian. His most recent work is Napoleon, released in 2023. Scott has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Director and is widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Hollywood.
