Aaron Benjamin’s Gripping Short Story “Carrier” to Be Brought to Life by Mortal Media
New Regency Acquires Action-Thriller ‘Carrier’ from Aaron Benjamin
New Regency has secured the rights to "Carrier," a short story penned by Aaron Benjamin. The project evolves from an original concept by Benjamin and Jack McCain, the naval pilot and son of former U.S. Senator John McCain.
Set against the backdrop of a high-profile U.S. Senator’s naval funeral, Carrier presents an intense action-thriller scenario. During the ceremony, an attack on the aircraft carrier ensues, resulting in the President being taken hostage. The story follows the Senator’s son and the President’s daughter as they join forces to uncover the perpetrators and reclaim the ship.
The idea for Carrier originated at Mortal Media, the production company founded by former NFL center Ryan Kalil and ex-NBA All-Star Blake Griffin. After acquiring the concept, Benjamin collaborated with McCain to refine the narrative. Griffin, Kalil, and Noah Weinstein will serve as producers, while McCain will offer advisory support throughout the development.
Benjamin has recently been tapped to write the true-crime thriller The Panama Unit and the sequel Black Demon 2 for Mucho Mas Media. His horror short story “Millionaire” features Morris Chestnut in a starring role, and he previously sold the action-thriller script The Zone to Millennium Media, which will be directed by Wally Pfister. His Super Bowl-themed script The Nest is set up at Thunder Road with Gerard Butler attached to star. Benjamin is represented by Verve, Jon Hersh at Night Drive Management, and attorney Paul Miloknay.
Mortal Media is recognized for its projects including the Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy Hello Tomorrow! starring Billy Crudup and a reboot of White Men Can’t Jump featuring Jack Harlow. The company is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.
In the past year, New Regency has made several notable acquisitions, including the thriller short story “They’re Still Here” by Stephen Herman, the erotic thriller script Fixation from Erika Vazquez and Siena Butterfield, and a thriller pitch from How to Blow Up a Pipeline’s Daniel Goldhaber. Recently, the company also received a straight-to-series order from Netflix for Black Hole, derived from graphic novels by Charles Burns, developed in collaboration with Jane Schoenbrun, who will direct.
Looking ahead, New Regency is set to release Psycho Killer on February 20th, a horror thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker of Se7en fame. The company also has plans for several significant projects, including an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, directed by John Hillcoat with a script by Oscar winner John Logan, as well as documentaries on Elon Musk and Jimi Hendrix, an adaptation of the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs starring Tom Blyth and Sophie Wilde, and Eight Perfect Murders, directed by Harry Bradbeer.
