Sony Pictures is reportedly planning to make a big screen movie based at least in part on my (mis)adventures over the past few years as an independent investigative reporter writing about cybercrime. Some gumshoe I am: This took me by complete surprise.
Source: BrianKrebsFacts.com
The first inkling I had of this project came a few weeks ago when New York Times reporter Nicole Perlroth forwarded me a note she’d received from a Hollywood producer who was (and still is) apparently interested in acquiring my “life rights” for an upcoming film project. The producer reached out to The Times reporter after reading her mid-February 2014 profile of me, which chronicled the past year’s worth of reader responses from the likes of the very ne’er-do-wells I write about daily. Perlroth’s story began:
“In the last year, Eastern European cybercriminals have stolen Brian Krebs’s identity a half dozen times, brought down his website, included his name and some unpleasant epithets in their malware code, sent fecal matter and heroin to his doorstep, and called a SWAT team to his home just as his mother was arriving for dinner.”
I didn’t quite know what to make of the Hollywood inquiry at the time, and was so overwhelmed and distracted with travel and other matters that I neglected to follow up on it. Then, just yesterday, I awoke to a flurry of messages both congratulatory and incredulous on Twitter and Facebook regarding a story in The Hollywood Reporter:
“Sony has picked up the rights to the New York Times article ‘Reporting From the Web’s Underbelly,’ which focused on cyber security blogger Brian Krebs. Krebs, with his site KrebsonSecurity.com, was the first person to expose the credit card breach at Target that shook the retail world in December.”
“Richard Wenk, the screenwriter who wrote Sony’s high-testing big-screen version of The Equalizer, is on board to write what is being envisioned as a cyber-thriller inspired by the article and set in the high-stakes international criminal world of cyber-crime.”
Judging from accounts of the screenwriter’s other movies, if this flick actually gets made someone vaguely resembling me probably will be kicking some badguy butt on the Silver Screen:
–The Expendables 2: Sly Stallone gets revenge.
– The Mechanic: Jason Statham hits hard.
– 16 Blocks: Bruce Willis…well..Bruce Willises.
– The Equalizer (Fall 2014): Denzel Washington tries to hide from his past life of kicking butt.
I still have yet to work out the details with Sony, but beyond remuneration (and perhaps a fleeting Hitchcock-style cameo) I would be delighted if I could influence the selection of the leading man. In the past week, I’ve been told I look like both Jim Carrey and Guy Pearce, but I’m not so sure. But if I had to pick one of my favorite actors, I’d love to see Edward Norton in the role. What about you, dear readers? Sound off in the comments below.
Update, 8:24 p.m. ET: Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter Jennifer Bjorhus managed to get confirmation from Sony that the studio was working on this film.
Tom Cruise would be a good choice! Just like Mission Impossible……..
I’m sort of a fan of John Oliver.
Totally agree with Edward Norton a great actor and could seem him in the role.
I’ll second Edward Norton. Though my 2 favorite movies of his (The Italian Job and The Score) he plays a thief, so maybe he would be a better choice for the “hacker” 😉
I would be delighted if I could influence the selection of the leading man
Focus on ensuring that the screenplay isn’t awful and that the director is competent. But you won’t be able to influence these either.
How would this film end? A self-referential blog post about the film?
No matter — congratulations.
Let’s hope Uwe Boll doesn’t get attached to direct.
Also, get Charlie Kaufman to write it.
Yeah, dude. You’ve got to promise us you won’t go Hollywood on us. This means: No Botox. No men’s day spa. No hair transplants and no plastic surgery. And no Birkenstocks. Lastly, if you ever show up on Oprah to cry on camera and talk about your feelings, and the emotional side of being a cyber sleuth, it’s over between us.
Wait…no day spa?? C’mon!
Srsly, what’s wrong with day spa?!
Edward Norton! Great choice. Not sure I would be able to live up to his intensity, but you appear to get out more than I do.
Thanks for a _great_ site.
Will Smith… Nuff said.
Hold out for Bradley Cooper.
Liam Neeson:
“I will find you, write a story about you, and then kill you.”
Ed Norton is a solid choice. I also think Gary Oldman would be a solid choice.
Brian,
I think you look like Brian Kilmeade of
FOX and Friends. I recommend you get
Bruce Norris to play your part:)
You can’t go wrong with James Earl Jones!
Seriously…Ryan Reynolds all the way!
Too bad we couldn’t get Robert Redford of 15 years ago- sort of a Sneakers part 2…
I think if you want to accentuate your good looks, Brian, go for Chris Evans (Captain America), and if you want better acting, Ed Norton or Gary Oldman- I know he’s a bit older but I think it could work well.
Make sure you get residuals, there’s nothing cooler than getting paid $0.50 every time it airs on TV for the rest of your life! lol
Tom Guiry, famous from “The Sandlot.”
Scroll down for pictures at
http://www.businessinsider.com/where-are-they-now-the-cast-of-the-sandlot-2013-7?op=1
Patrick Renna (The Great Hambino) is framed nicely at the same site, but he is a little too heavy in the face. I hope they cast him anyway, as Vladimir Tsastsin. I’d love to hear him say, “You’re killin’ me Krebs!”
Gary Sinise! Has the look and the ability to play the role.
hugh jackman – Benedict Cumberbatch – and a cameo Brian + richard stallman… whoaaaaa!!!!
Oh please, steer far clear of Tom Cruise! He would be as mis-cast as Krebs as he was as Jack Reacher; he just isn’t the respected actor he once was. I agree that Edward Norton and Bradley Cooper would be good choices. What about Justin Timberlake?
Bradley Cooper would be a great choice, trust me on this. Congratulations, Brian! This is a movie I might actually go to see!
Daniel Craig as you and Meatloaf as your sysadmin.
Tobey Maguire or Ed Norton or a relatively unknown. Emphasis should be put on being an “unlikely” person. No clichés. Be sure to keep absolute artistic control over the script because script writers can do hideous things to a good story in the name of marketing. If you want to go the Mel Gibson, Danny Glover route in “Lethal Weapon”, I am available for the wacky sidekick part.
Epic, Epic and more Epic! I can see Tom Cruise being a good one. he can play serious with a side of funny. Keep up the great work I always look forward to reading these!
LMAO….CHUCK NORRIS!!!!!!!!!!
It’s obvious to me that you should play the role yourself. You can’t hide your stage, vocal, and big screen theatrical abilities forever. Can a presidential exploratory committee be far behind? Krebs for President (after you make the movie)…
Bravissimo! Encore! Encore!
Congrats Brian, hey can’t we get Rescator to come in and read for the part? I’m sure there’s lot of folks who would like to talk to him about it.
nice!… let’s hope Doug Liman directs it, give it that Bourne Identity flare…
“The Hacker Games”?
Surely Brad Pitt is under consideration.
Giovanni Ribisi
I would gladly accept the sysadmin job. Where do I audition?
First off, congrats!
You got some great tips above regarding leading men, but I think the best choice would be an unknown actor… just as much as you were an unknown to most of us until a few years ago (I followed you here from the Post).
If not, then, in no particular order:
Ed Norton
Gary Sinise
Eric Bana
Kevin Spacey
Russel Crowe (Think “A Beautiful Mind”)
Anthony Michael Hall (Breakfast Club, Dead Zone)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
(An older) Daniel Radcliffe
(An older) Jesse Eisenberg
Christian Bale
Matt Damon
Tobey McGuire
Anthony Michael Hall? Hmmm! Good one! +1
I’d forgotten about this favorite!
I see Keifer Sutherland playing you.