Date: 13th January 2003

Brad Pitt lined up for new Alcatraz film


Brad Pitt is being lined up to produce and star in a film based on the true story of the psychiatrist who treated the "Birdman of Alcatraz".

Warner Brothers has already made a deal with Ned Zeman to write the script for The Madman of Alcatraz.

Burt Lancaster received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Robert Stroud in 1963's The Birdman of Alcatraz.

However, according to Zeman, the real story was not of a killer reformed through his love of birds but of a dangerous sociopath who used his pets to gain sympathy and trust, reports Variety.

The film will examine the relationship between the birdman and his shrink, who spent two years with him on the island, and in the process, nearly lost his own sanity.

Source: Press Release