Matt Damon News Column - February 8th, 2008

The Howard Zinn project titled The People Speak has found a distributor, and Matt has been named as a producer. Details at Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

Historian Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" is being adapted into a feature documentary.

Called "The People Speak," the documentary will feature dramatic readings and live musical performances from the likes of Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, David Strathairn, Marisa Tomei Jasmine Guy, John Legend, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Michael Ealy and Kerry Washington.

Four performances in Boston at Emerson's Cutler Majestic Theater have already been shot and a planned spring shoot will have Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Eddie Vedder and Steve Earle, among others.

Damon, along with Dan Fireman, Ara Katz Art Spigel of Artfire Films, as well as Carolyn Mugar are producing. Zinn, Anthony Arnove and Chris Moore are exec producing. Damon has long been a fan of the book, throwing in a mention in his "Good Will Hunting," as well as narrating the audiobook.

Cinetic Media is handling domestic sales while Cinema Management Group, headed by veteran international sales and distribution executive, Edward Noeltner, is overseeing worldwide rights, launching the project at Berlin.

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