Lionsgate Acquires Rights to Will Leitch’s \’Lloyd McNeil\’s Last Ride,\’ Set for Garrett Basch Production

EXCLUSIVE:

Following a competitive bidding war, Lionsgate has closed a deal for the novel
Lloyd McNeil\’s Last Ride
By Will Leitch, produced by Garrett Basch. The book is set to be released by Harper in May, with Leitch taking on the role of executive producer.

The narrative centers on Lloyd McNeil, who recently found out that he only has a few months left to live. Additionally, he realizes that two decades serving as a patrol officer in Atlanta were not sufficient to amass enough savings to ensure his teenage son, Bishop, would be financially secure once he passes away. However, upon discovering that his pension benefits would significantly escalate should he perish while on duty, Lloyd hatches a scheme. He starts deliberately placing himself in perilous situations time and again with the aim of meeting an untimely end so as to guarantee financial stability for his child.

James Myers is overseeing the project for Lionsgate. Dan Freedman negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio.

\”Given the audience’s hunger for fresh and genuine narratives fit for cinema, we\’re thrilled to present Will Leitch\’s uniquely original story featuring the unforgettable character Lloyd McNeil,\” stated Erin Westerman, co-president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. \”Blending action, comedy, and deep emotion, his work acts not only as a guide but also as motivation for embracing life fully,\” she added.

Leitch is most renowned for establishing the now-defunct sports website Deadspin. He serves as a contributing editor there.
New York
magazine
,
a columnist for
The Washington Post
and a national correspondent for MLB.com. He is the author of six previous books, including
How Lucky
, which received an Edgar Award nomination. He is represented by Mark Tavani from the David Black Agency and WME.

Basch work includes the Emmy Award-winning series
What We Do in the Shadows
,
The Night Of
, and
Ripley,
along with other notable series such as
Our Flag Means Death
,
Time Bandits
,
Devs
,
Dispatches from Elsewhere
,
Barkskins
,
Diagnosis
,
Interior Chinatown,
and the two-time Peabody Award-winning
Reservation Dogs
. His films include Steve James’ acclaimed documentary
Life Itself
, Taylor Sheridan’s
Those Who Wish Me Dead
, Tai
ka
Waititi’s
Next Goal Wins
and the upcoming
Klara and the Sun
. Basch’s company, Dive, has a longstanding first-look deal with FX Networks, where upcoming projects together include the new Tulsa noir series from Sterlin Harjo and starring Ethan Hawke. He is represented by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.