Netflix to produce a film of The Panama Papers

Netflix has acquired exclusive film rights for The Panama Papers, published in the UK by Oneworld.

The book, The Panama Papers: The Story of How the Rich & Powerful Hide their Money, which was published on 30th June, reveals how two investigative journalists - Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier - from Munich-based newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, together with an anonymous source, exposed a complex network of offshore shell companies used by the super-rich to hide their money earlier this year.

The exposé has since been referred to as the biggest data leak in history, with over 400 journalists from all over the world recruited to sift through 11.5m files while keeping the story a secret until it became time to publish it.

It was a quick publishing turnaround for Oneworld editor Alex Christofi, who only acquired the title from Tanja Howarth at The London Book Fair in April this year. The title has so far sold 1,283 copies for £14,246 since its publication just over a month ago.

Christofi said of the film deal: “Netflix is the perfect partner for the film. It’s a global platform for a global issue, and it has already proven with Making a Murderer that it has the power to move the needle in some of the most important debates we’re all having about the kind of society we want to live in.”

In an interview with the Guardian, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the investigation was “probably the most important political story of recent times, so I imagine there will be many different stories and angles to come from it.”

No writer, director or cast have yet been named for the production, which will be overseen by John Wells Productions.