Sierra/Affinity has bulked up its market slate with international rights to the spy thriller from Scott Free Productions, Playtone, Cara Films and MadRiver Pictures.

Liam Neeson

Peter Landesman will direct the historical project about Mark Felt, the special agent and whistleblower also known as ‘Deep Throat’ whose information led to the Watergate scandal and ultimately forced US president Richard Nixon out of the White House.

Landesman wrote the screenplay and will also produce. MadRiver Pictures will finance. CAA arranged financing and represents US rights.

Ridley Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan, Christopher Woodrow and Jay Roach serve as producers. Steven Shareshian and Michael Schaefer are executive producers with Michael Bassick and Steven Marshall.

Principal photography is set to begin in March 2016.

Landesman, Giannina Scott and Ridley Scott collaborated on Will Smith starrer Concussion, which gets its world premiere as a centrepiece screening at AFI FEST on November 10.