Would You See the Carlos Ghosn Movie?
Internationally wanted fugitive and former automotive executive Carlos Ghosn has reportedly teamed up with Michael Ovitz, founder of Creative Artists Agency and ex-president of Walt Disney, to handle the movie or miniseries that’s definitely going to be made about his flight from Japan.
Ghosn could probably use the money, as he’s accustomed to the finer things in life. He forfeited $15 million in bail money when he skipped town, plus whatever it costs to hire an elite team of mercenaries to smuggle you halfway around the world.
According to Bloomberg, Ovitz is helping evaluate project proposals — meaning they’re probably already receiving extremely juicy offers from reputable studios. We doubt Carlos would take on such a high-profile agent otherwise.
A documentary is bound to happen. There are simply too many questions left unanswered for it not to be a compelling piece of cinema. Ghosn has long stated he was the target of a corporate cleansing (which later spread throughout the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance), but we still don’t know to what extent the Japanese government colluded with Nissan to put him away or what lengths the automaker went to stage the assumed coup. Hell, we don’t even know if he’s innocent. The allegations against him seem sound, as does his claims that the Japanese courts mistreated him.
Of course, that’s all backstory for his daring December escape. Whether the film be documentary or fiction, it’ll definitely build up to his stunning exodus. Frankly, we’re hoping for a heist film in which Ghosn is played by George Clooney. Imagine the scene where he’s finally about to see his wife again, whispering in her ear that daddy’s coming home for the holidays. Then the screen changes to reveal they’re being watched on CCTV by some sinister-looking authority figure. “Not on my watch,” he’ll say, before calling Jean-Dominique Senard (hopefully played by the masterful Charles Dance).
Alright, so maybe the documentary is the best route… even if it runs the risk the third act just being Ghosn hiding in a box. That said, we don’t really expect to get the straight scoop from anybody, regardless of format or medium.
Arrested in Japan in 2018 on charges of financial misconduct and misuse of corporate resources for personal profit, Ghosn is currently out of solitary confinement and lying low in Lebanon. He still contends that he was subjected to a corporate deposition aimed at stopping him from further integrating Nissan with Renault. Meanwhile, Japanese authorities essentially say he stole large sums of money for an extended period of time and want him brought back in order to stand trial.
[Image: Plamen Galabov/Shutterstock]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Ghosn With The Wind
I vote Wagner Moura (Pablo Escobar from Netflix's NARCOS)