"Social Network" Producers Bring Us "Sex on the Moon"

WARNING: THIS PICTURE HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVIE

Critics and audiences alike have proclaimed the film The Social Network to be the greatest thing since bread (sliced or otherwise), so while a literal sequel would be implausible, and most likely uninteresting, the movers and shakers who brought it to the screen are teaming up again to bring us another tale of nerdery and lawyers.

"Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History", a currently conceptual, soon-to-be book by Ben Mezrich (author of "The Accidental Billionaires", from which The Social Network was adapted), has already had it's film rights purchased by Social Network producers Scott Rudin, Michael De Luca, and Dana Brunetti.  It tells the true life story of Thad Roberts, a young NASA employee who stole some moon rocks from Johnson Space Center, with the assistance of his girlfriend, and attempted to sell them on the internet.  For more details, check out this 2004 news article about the heist.  No word on casting or directing choices at this time.

It's a good story, and could be either really funny, dramatic, or both.  This Roberts character sounds like he was a straight-shooter ("with upper-management written all over him"), so it'll be interesting to see how they show his descent into reckless and, frankly, stupid criminal behavior.  Based on the title of the book alone, I'm guessing that they blame the blonde.

While nerdy, Roberts was also an athlete, and prospective astronaut, so that'll extend the casting range beyond your usual "nerd types" like Jesse Eisenberg (Though I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have him back in the fold in some capacity).  Will David Fincher return to direct?  I kind of doubt it.  The dude has a lot on his plate right now.  Current plans involve a new adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and I could see him using his inevitable Post-Oscar clout (Believe it!) to get his long-in-gestation adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendezvous With Rama" off the ground.

Via the LA Times