EXCLUSIVE: Universal has acquired the feature remake rights to the 2012 Korean film Confession of Murder and have tapped Chris MacBride to pen script. Barnstorm’s Glen Powell and Dan Cohen will be producing with Winged Tiger’s Naomi Funabashi and Rishi Rajani.
The original film followed an investigation that happened after a suspected killer publishes a book detailing murders he cannot be tried for. The pic starred Jung Jae-Yung, was directed by Jung Byung-gil and prooduced by B.A. Entertainment CEO Billy Acumen. (While unconfirmed, sources say Acumen will be involved in the adaptation). The specifics of MacBride’s pitch are being kept under wraps.
Universal’s Christine Sun is overseeing the project for the studio. Barnstorm’s Jacquelina Rosso will co-produce.
Founded by Powell & Cohen in 2025, Barnstorm is in post-production on The Comeback King which stars Powell, directed by Judd Apatow and was co-written by Powell and Apatow. That film is releasing on February 5, 2027. Their Hulu show Chad Powers releases its second season this week. Last month Deadline broke the news that they were developing a Lou Gehrig movie with Universal based on a Simon Rich pitch which will reteam Powell with his frequent collaborator Richard Linklater directing.
Rajani and Funabashi have produced Sundance and Independent Spirit award-winning films like A Thousand and One and The Forty-Year Old Version to the Emmy-nominated Being Mary Tyler Moore. BEING MARY TYLER MOORE (HBO) and CHANG CAN DUNK (Disney+).
MacBride most recently sold feature pitch Kingmakers to Netflix, 21 Laps and Story Kitchen producing, which is an adaptation of the upcoming strategy sandbox game. He also recently wrote The Wolf, a global action-thriller, for Amazon-MGM and Lorenzo di Bonaventura and before that rewrote Face/Off 2 for Paramount and Original Film with Adam Wingard attached to direct. Recently, Searchlight came onboard to make his original psychological thriller Echo with Chad Hartigan attached to direct.
Powell and Barnstorm are represented by CAA and JSSK. Winged Tiger is represented by Anita Surendran at Granderson Des Rochers. MacBride is also repped by CAA.
