News & Reviews

WORD: Former S.F. Police Chief Earl Sanders' book 'Zebra' goes Hollywood

Another week, another book snapped up by Hollywood. Former San Francisco Chief of Police Prentice Earl Sanders' 2006 book "The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights" was sold to DreamWorks and odds are you will see it on the big screen soon, literary agent Jessica Kaye of Beverly Hills agency Kaye & Mills told WORD'N'BASS.com.

While many books get optioned by major film studios, "Zebra" appears on the fast track to getting made into a film, said Kaye, who brokered the story rights deal along with agent Kevin Mills on behalf of former Chief Sanders and co-author Bennett Cohen.

"Most options are just that -- an option, and very often (options go) to producers whose hearts are in the right place but may not be able to swing the rest of what it takes to get a film made," said Kaye. "In this case, with a studio, a production team and a star attached, this looks to me as though a movie will be made."

The team lined up to handle "Zebra" includes some of Hollywood's biggest players. In addition to DreamWorks' involvement, actor Jamie Fox signed on to star in the flick, which Plan B (which includes star Brad Pitt) and Foxx-King Entertainment are set to produce.

The 2006 book examines a series of racially motivated serial killings in San Francisco during the 1970s that Sanders investigated. During the investigation, Sanders and his partner faced harassment in the police department and successfully sued The City for discrimination.

Sanders later became Chief of San Francisco's police department. In the Bay Area, Sanders is also remembered for helming the SFPD when drunken police officer Alex Fagan Jr. allegedly pummeled a bartender over his fajitas and a cover up ensued.

Not only has Sanders had a successful career as an author since retiring from the SFPD, but once "Zebra" is made into a film the heavy publicity associated with its promotion will likely eclipse the firestorm of the so-called Fajita-gate scandal.

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