‘Boston Strong’ Author Lines Up ‘Vegas Strong’ About 2017 Killings

EXCLUSIVE: Author Casey Sherman, whose book Boston Strong was adapted into the 2016 feature film Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Bacon, has partnered with Midnight Lute Productions on a new book and feature film project, Vegas Strong.

The project will chronicle the worst mass shooting in American history at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017 and the “courage, compassion, and resilience that emerged in its aftermath”.

Much as Sherman did with Boston Strong, which he co-authored with Dave Wedge, Vegas Strong will focus on “the survivors, first responders, families, and community members whose lives were forever changed, and on those who came together to help one another heal”.

“I see so many similarities between the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings and the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Las Vegas,” said Sherman, speaking to Deadline on the anniversary of the killings. “I want to give a voice to all those who rushed into the fray to save lives, those who comforted and supported the families of the victims, and the survivors who refused to allow the actions of a madman to destroy their lives.”

In 2018, Sherman hosted more than 40 Las Vegas shooting survivors and family members of victims on a healing cruise in Germany. The experience gave Sherman a first-hand look at how the tragedy altered so many lives giving him a passion for their stories. The book will also devote several chapters to the Vegas Golden Knights and the role the NHL expansion team played in bringing the Las Vegas community together and giving residents something to cheer about during one of the city’s darkest times.

“The way the players played for something bigger than themselves during their inaugural season, ultimately reaching the Stanley Cup Final, reminds me of We Are Marshall,” Sherman said. “The organization went above and beyond to help the community heal.”

Sherman and Midnight Lute Productions plan to develop Vegas Strong as a feature film, weaving together the personal stories of October 1 survivors and first responders with the inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights.

“We feel Vegas Strong will be one of the most inspiring sports stories ever told,” said Midnight Lute producer Trent Othick. “The way the Golden Knights uplifted a broken community and did the unthinkable in their first season, opening the door for professional sports in Las Vegas, is exactly the kind of story we want to tell. Casey and I have been discussing it for years, and we feel now is the time as the Golden Knights enter their 10th season.”

Othick, a Las Vegas-based producer, has a personal connection to the October 1 tragedy, with family and friends directly affected by the shooting. He also helped Sherman organize the 2018 healing cruise. The company is led by Othick, ESPN and Fox Sports analyst Matt Muehlebach, former Fox Sports Productions President John Entz, and several former professional athletes. The company is backed by Las Vegas-based investment group LJM Associates, comprised of John Gaughan, Layne Marsh, and Blaine Tripp, as well as Arizona businessmen Jim Berwick, Josh Snider, Timothy Snider, and Jeff Brack.

Othick previously served as president of Go Productions, where he produced the Broadway run and national tour of A Bronx Tale, as well as feature films from Neil LaBute, Marcus Nispel, and others, while developing various TV projects. Before Go Productions, Othick was president of Insomnia Entertainment, where he partnered with former UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta.

Sherman is the author of 20 books, including The Finest Hours, which was adapted into a 2016 Disney feature film starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck; James Patterson’s The Last Days of John Lennon; The Ice Bucket Challenge; 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption; Helltown; and, most recently, The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright. Sherman is currently an executive producer of the Hulu docuseries Hunting Whitey, based on his book and narrated by Ben Affleck, and he also stars in the NBC Peacock true crime documentary, Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession.

Sherman is represented by UTA. Midnight Lute Productions is represented by Matt Luber of Luber Roklin Entertainment and Ron Levin of Levin Law Corporation.