Dana Brunetti, the producer behind “The Social Network,” “Captain Phillips” and Netflix’s “House of Cards,” has optioned Martin Cooper’s memoir “Cutting the Cord” and plans to develop it as a feature film.

Cooper, referred to as “the father of the cell phone,” is credited with inventing the first handheld cellular device at Motorola. The story, which Brunetti envisions as “The Social Network” (David Fincher’s 2010 biographical drama about Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg) for the analog age, follows the cutthroat competition between industry titans that threatened to bury Cooper’s creation, as well as the cell phone’s future impact on the lives of everyone.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories about amazing minds doing amazing things and Marty’s story is exactly that and then some,” Brunetti said. “Our lives have been dramatically impacted by the creation of the cell phone. You needn’t look further than the recent pandemic and the crucial role our devices played in keeping us all connected while we were stuck in our homes.”

Cooper spent nearly three decades at Motorola, during which he contributed to the development of pagers and two-way radio dispatch systems. On April 3, 1973, in front of press in New York City at 6th Avenue at 52nd, he made the first public cell phone call (to his competitor). With that brazen energy in mind, it’s unsurprising that Cooper says the true story behind the race to invent the first cell phone is filled with “conflict and suspense.”

“Most of the people in the world use and depend upon cell phones, but this modern miracle almost didn’t happen,” Cooper, now 92, said. “‘Cutting the Cord’ is a story loaded with conflict and suspense, and the story continues to unfold as the cell phone becomes an extension of the person. Dana Brunetti has demonstrated a sensitivity to marriage of people and technology in his past work. He is the perfect choice to bring to life the story of the creation and future of the cell phone.”

Cavalry Media, a Los Angeles-based media and management company run by Brunetti, Keegan Rosenberger and partner Matt DelPiano, is adapting the project. Since its initial formation as film and television production company in 2018, Cavalry Media has expanded to also include talent and literary management and podcast production.

optional screen reader

Read More About:

Source: Read Full Article