"Ray" director Taylor Hackford has been assigned to helm a fact-based feature titled "Good Luck, Mr. Anthony" that Disney is developing with Beacon Pictures.
- May 10, 2007
AceShowbiz - Making his way back to the big screen after directing the pilot episode of NBC's military drama series "E-Ring", Taylor Hackford has given his commitment to helm "Good Luck, Mr. Anthony" for Walt Disney Pictures and Beacon Pictures, Variety has reported.
Based on a true story, the project will follow a South African game preserve owner named Lawrence Anthony as he embarked on a rescue mission to save the animals in the Baghdad Zoo when the invasion of Iraq began in 2003. Beacon chairman Aryman Bernstein penned the screenplay alongside Terry Jastrow while also serving as producer with his partner Charlie Lyons executive producing.
Anthony, an owner and operator of a South African game preserve called Thula Thula, decided to carry out the mission after recalling that zoo animals are usually killed or die of neglect when wars begin. Eventually finding the zoo, where half of the 1,000 animals had already died, he then rallied the zoo staff to return and protected the animals with the help of other local people.
