After an impressive career of writing acclaimed films like The Social Network, Moneyball and Steve Jobs, not to mention having created one of the most iconic TV series of all-time in The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin is finally set to make his directorial debut with Molly’s Game.
An adaptation of Molly Bloom’s memoir, the project will be produced by Mark Gordon and Amy Pascal and is being set up at Sony Pictures. In addition to directing, Sorkin will also pen the screenplay, which is certainly good news given how brilliant he is when it comes to adapting compelling novels.
Like the book, the film will follow the titular Molly, an incredibly talented skier who was at one point, ranked No. 3 in North America in moguls, and also held a 3.9 GPA in college. However, she failed to make the Olympic team and ended up running “the most exclusive high-stakes poker game in the world.” She was making millions of dollars for eight years, until the FBI came knocking on her door.
Though I haven’t read the book myself, it certainly sounds like an interesting enough story, and one that no doubt Sorkin can bring to life on the big screen with ease. He’s proven time and time again his skill for taking true stories and turning them into engrossing and absorbing motion pictures, and Molly’s Game should be no different.