Arts & Entertainment

Volkswagen Scandal Headed to the Big Screen

Paramount and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way have acquired rights to book on Volkswagen's stunning admission it cheated on emissions tests.

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In the time it takes to measure smog emissions, the Volkswagen scandal is making its way to the big screen.

Paramount and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way studio have acquired the rights to a book proposal by Jack Ewing, who is investigating the “more, better, faster” ethos behind the German automaker’s admission last month that it had intentionally circumvented smog-reduction standards on more than 11 million diesel-engine vehicles sold in the United States.

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Volkswagen programmed its diesel cars so they met U.S. emissions standards during testing, but in normal driving conditions, emissions rates went up 40 times higher.

CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned following the stunning admission that the automaker had cheated on emissions tests.

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The Hollywood Reporter said Monday that Ewing’s yet-untitled book, pitched as “Too Big to Fail,” sold for six figures in a book deal with Norton earlier this month.

DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran will produce the movie.

» Photo by Flickr user Danny__H

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