*A film about the Flint water crisis in Michigan is in the works from producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the duo behind NBC’s live staging of “The Wiz.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zadan and Meron have optioned the rights to Time’s February cover story on the crisis, Josh Sanburn’s “The Toxic Tap,” at Sony Pictures Television, where the two have a longtime overall deal for longform projects. Sanburn will serve as a consultant on the film and indie film writer-director Barbara Stepansky is attached to write the teleplay.
Zadan and Meron hope to shed light on the “toxic crime” committed against the residents of the Michigan town and how the residents were impacted by the poisoning.
The 100,000 residents of Flint have been without safe drinking water since 2014, when local officials started diverting water from the Flint River to cut costs. Michigan officials are investigating whether the lead-contaminated water could have led to a higher rate in miscarriages in the area.
Zadan’s and Meron’s previous Lifetime projects include the highly rated 2012 “Steel Magnolias” remake. Their upcoming projects include NBC’s next live musical, “Hairspray,” and a live staging of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men,” set to premiere on the network in 2017.
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