Spooks scribe Rupert Walters is to write the screenplay for a biopic of Special Air Services Founder David Stirling.
Production company HandMade films, revealed they have optioned Alan Hoe's David Stiring: The Authorised Biography. Hoe's is a detailed account of the history of Stirling’s original concept for the service, including his first successful Special Operations raid behind German lines in December 1941, and SAS activities over the course of the following year, which saw Stirling's unit destroy more than 400 aircraft, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of tons of ammunition and fuel.
Rupert Walters said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Antony and the Handmade team on this project.
"I have been fascinated by the exploits and achievements of David Stirling for many years and am looking forward to bringing his amazing story to the big screen."
HandMade Films MD Antony Rufus Isaacs added: "This is an epic and incredibly exciting project that HandMade Films is embarking on. Everyone is familiar with the SAS, but few people know of its origins.
"David Stirling was the driving force behind the birth of the SAS, a clandestine group which sets the standard for all special forces. Like Lawrence of Arabia, Stirling was a man of vision and a man of action."
