Journalists cash in on WikiLeaks rights scramble

Newspapers and journalists are cashing in on WikiLeaks’ war on secrecy as Hollywood studios scramble to buy the “life rights” to key characters involved in 2010’s publication of thousands of classified documents.

At least five film versions of the WikiLeaks story are in development from groups including DreamWorks, HBO, the BBC and Universal Pictures. This has set off a fight for exclusive adaptation rights to the books and articles published about the saga. DreamWorks has taken the unusual step of buying rights to two books on WikiLeaks, including WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy, by David Leigh and Luke Harding, two reporters at the UK’s Guardian newspaper. The company has also struck rights deals with other journalists from the Guardian, one of several newspapers to have worked closely with WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, its founder.