Published 23:58 IST, January 30th 2020
Jodie Foster to helm a movie based on iconic Mona Lisa heist story of 1911
American actor Jodie Foster will reportedly direct a film based on the greatest art theft of all time- the 1911 heist of the iconic Mona Lisa painting.
American actor Jodie Foster, recipient of two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film Awards and many others, has an interesting film in the pipeline for her. As per reports, the actor-director is gearing up to direct an untitled film that deals with the greatest theft of all time. The world-famous painting of Mona Lisa, made by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci, was stolen from the famous Louvre museum at Paris in 1911. The script for the film will reportedly be written by Bill Wheeler with the help of Seymour Reit's book The Day They Stole the Mona Lisa, which narrated the story of the famous robbery at the Louvre Museum.
Story of the heist
In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee at the Louvre in Paris, perpetrated what has been described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century. After keeping the painting hidden in his Paris apartment for two years, Peruggia, believing the painting belonged in Italy, returned to his homeland with it. He kept it in his apartment in Florence, Italy but grew impatient, and was finally caught when he contacted Alfredo Geri, the owner of an art gallery in Florence. It was returned to the Louvre in 1914.
Geri’s story conflicts with Peruggia’s, but it was clear that Peruggia expected a reward for returning the painting to what he regarded as its 'homeland'. Geri called in Giovanni Poggi, director of the Uffizi Gallery, who authenticated the painting. Poggi and Geri, after taking the painting for 'safekeeping', informed the police, who arrested Peruggia at his hotel.
About Jodie Foster
The Silence Of The Lambs actor has had a long and successful career in front of the camera as she made her debut as a child artist in Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller film Taxi Driver. Her claim to fame in her early days was the Alan Parker directorial debut film Bugsy Malone. The actor donned the director's hat for the first time in 1985 for a video segment in Golden Tales based on Stephen King's novel.
In recent years, she has directed the crime-thriller Money Monster starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts and directed an episode of Black Mirror. Jodie Foster is set to direct and star in the English-language remake of Icelandic-Ukrainian thriller Woman at War.
Updated 23:58 IST, January 30th 2020