Robert Downey Jr. May Be A Con Man For Chasing Phil

Robert Downey Jr. May Be A Con Man For Chasing Phil
He's attached to produce and potentially star in a true-life tale

22 June 2015 | Written by James White | Source: The Wrap



When he’s not busy with his Marvel Cinematic Universe duties or starring in other dramas and comedies, Robert Downey Jr. likes to slip on his producer’s hat and develop films with Team Downey partner (and wife) Susan Downey. The pair has just set another project at Warner Bros., with the studio making a deal for Chasing Phil.

Any eventual film will be based on David Howard’s book Chasing Phil: The World’s Greatest Con Man, Two Undercover FBI Agents, And Their Amazing Around The World Adventure, which tells how the agency began its attempts to investigate white-collar crime as two young agents – Jim Wedick and Jack Brennan – insinuated themselves undercover into the inner circle of Phil Kitzer, a charismatic mastermind and con artist. He ran multi-million dollar schemes via a network of accomplices known as The Fraternity. Warners has flashed the cash for both the rights to Howard’s tome and to Wedick and Brennan’s life rights.

Team Downey is overseeing development on the film, and the Kitzer role will be tailored for Downey Jr., assuming he agrees to star. Right now, he’s at work on Captain America: Civil War, which will hit our screens on April 29 next year. As producer, he’s working on various movies, including projects about Pinocchio and the shark-infested story of the USS Indianapolis.