Aaron Hernandez movie hits snag after rival producers go after each other
The life of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was defined by violence. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the battle to secure the rights to a film based on the life of Hernandez is shrouded in violence as well.
The movie rights to James Patterson’s upcoming book “All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderer’s Row,” were acquired by The Mark Gordon Co.
However, another producer, Todd Guzze, claims he owns the rights to the film.
Mark Gordon says Guzze has made threats against him and his employees in an effort to stop production of the movie.
Gordon has asked a judge in Los Angeles for a protective order to keep Guzze at least 300 yards from Gordon’s office and all of his employees.
In court documents obtained by TMZ, Gordon claims Guzze left a voicemail referencing two violent street gangs, The Latin Kings and The Bloods, saying Hernandez was a member of both gangs and that Guzze he was “keeping them at bay right now.”
Gordon alleges Guzze threatened physical harm by saying, “I don’t need to tell you how [the gangs] work … They’re right here in L.A.”
Gordon also alleges Guzze sent him an online message that implied violence and read, “Are you ready? I hope it’s worth it.”
Guzze denied any threats made toward Gordon.
“Mark Gordon has taken this too far,” Guzze said in a statement. “Aaron Hernandez is a very sensitive story and I’ve made him aware on multiple occasions that no one is doing this story but the family and the original partners that were closely tied to Aaron and his estate.”
Guzze also promised “more to come” concerning Hernandez’s story.
“By making this a public spectacle, I feel it’s just throwing gasoline on the fire,” Guzze said.
Gordon is a veteran Hollywood producer who has worked on such projects as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Speed.”
Guzze does not specify who he has obtained rights to Hernandez’s story from. Even if he has an agreement with the Hernandez family to produce a movie, he can’t prevent anyone else from writing a book or making a movie based on Hernandez’s life since the former football player is considered a public figure.
Hernandez was found guilty for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, who was dating his fiancee’s sister. Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison but committed suicide last year.
According to the producers, “All-American Murder” will reveal “the unvarnished truth behind the troubled star, with first-person accounts and untold stories — from his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut to his college days in Gainesville, Florida to the Patriots’ NFL locker room where he ascended to stardom, to the prison where Hernandez spent his final days.”
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