"Could a bunch of Nigerian militants in speedboats bring about a U.S. recession?" This is the question that journalist Sebastian Junger posed in his 2007 Vanity Fair article "Blood Oil." The piece details the efforts of MEND, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, a group that has been sabotaging oil operations in Nigeria, and thereby disturbing the cost of oil throughout the world. MEND aims to end the environmental devastation the industry brings to their region, and demands a higher quality of life for its residents. But as the fifth largest oil supplier to the United States, Nigeria's instability in this arena was a foreign concern that stirred concerns Stateside. And apparently somewhere in midst of all this conflict and controversy, Relativity Media has found inspiration for a new narrative feature.
The Wrap reports Relativity has optioned "Blood Oil," making it the second piece penned by Junger to get a movie adaptation. The first was the George Clooney docudrama The Perfect Storm, spun from Junger's harrowing account of the fatal final voyage of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail. But Junger may be better known by film fans as the co-director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Restrepo, where he and the late Tim Hetherington followed American troops embedded in Afghanistan for a year.
At this point, it's unknown if Junger will be involved in film's production. However, having spent much time investigating 40 years of corruption within Nigeria, it seems safe to assume he'd at least be a consultant if not a producer on the project. Hopefully, we'll soon get word on Junger's role in the production, and a tip on who might be penning the adapted screenplay.
