Joe Berlinger, the director behind HBO’s Emmy-winning true crime docuseries Paradise Lost, is set to helm a modern reimagining of the Cold War thriller Fail-Safe. The film is based on Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler’s novel, which was first adapted for the big screen in 1964 by Sidney Lumet.
The story follows a catastrophic mechanical failure that disrupts the U.S. military’s chain of command, mistakenly sending American bombers to Moscow for a nuclear attack.
Berlinger’s version will take a faux-cinéma vérité approach, reimagining the crisis as if it had occurred in 1967, culminating in the nuclear destruction of both New York and Moscow. The project aims to blend high-stakes international drama with documentary-style storytelling to offer a fresh perspective on Cold War tensions.
The 1964 film starred Henry Fonda as the U.S. president and Walter Matthau as a political theorist. A live TV adaptation in 2000 featured Richard Dreyfuss, George Clooney, and Harvey Keitel.
The latest adaptation is being produced by Los Angeles-based MFF & CO, with executive production by Pathfinder Media, known for projects like Blood Drive, Conan the Barbarian, and the upcoming Mutant Year Zero.
Producer Miura Kite of Maria Farinha Films called Fail-Safe a gripping and relevant story, stating that the film remains as impactful today as when it first captivated readers in 1962.
