Scandal might cancel Bernie Kerik biopic
Plus: Tom Cruise keeps talkingabout Scientology
By Jeannette Walls
MSNBC
Updated: 9:51 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2004

Recent revelations about Bernie Kerik may derail more than his job as head of Homeland Security. They may do damage to his big-screen biopic.

New York City’s former top cop was nixed for the job as President Bush’s secretary of homeland security after info was revealed about his personal and professional life. Now, a source says that Miramax — which bought the screen rights to Kerik’s autobiography — is seriously reconsidering the movie it’s making on the controversial lawman.

Miramax bought the rights to Kerik’s best-selling “The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice” last year; “Aviator” executive producer Rick Schwartz was hired to produce it.

“Bernie Kerik embodies the resolve of all New Yorkers,” Miramax head Harvey Weinstein said at the time. “His grit, determination and never-say-die attitude is an inspiration and proves once again that leadership is an action not just a word.” With the recent scandals pouring in, including reports that Kerik hired an illegal alien, didn’t pay her taxes, allegedly had multiple extramarital affairs, and conducted questionable business deals, “his light doesn’t shine quite so brightly any more,” says a source.

“There are now a lot of question marks,” says the insider, who says that the movie may be a casualty of the controversy. “There’s still a chance that it will be made, but I don’t know that they can make the same movie they had planned to.”

A spokesman for Miramax would say only, “The project is in development. We have nothing new to report.”