O.J. Simpson has been captivating audiences for 50 years.
From USC, to Buffalo, to Hertz commercials, to movie roles, to sideline reporting, to the Bronco chase, O.J. has garnered constant attention.
People loved him. Then they loved to hate him after it became obvious he committed a double murder and got off scot-free.
The popularity of FX’s limited series “The People vs. O.J. Simpson” and Ezra Edelman’s documentary “O.J.: Made In America” proves O.J. is as relevant and ghoulishly infamous as ever.
Now O.J.’s twisted tale of deceit and narcissism run amok may spawn a feature film.
One of O.J.’s accomplices in the armed robbery that landed him in prison is pushing to have his tell-all book adapted into a movie.
From the New York Daily News:
O.J. Simpson has been in prison for nearly a decade, yet the disgraced actor, athlete and convict remains a hot entertainment property.
Following on the heels of the FX hit “The People v.s. O.J. Simpson,” Tom Riccio, the man who aided Simpson in the armed robbery of a memorabilia dealer in 2007, is making a movie about the failed caper that landed the football star in prison.
“My book is currently being turned into a screenplay with a view of it being a TV series on a network or film,” says Riccio, speaking about his 2008 book “Busted!” “There has been a lot of interest from producers and studios about adapting that story into something with all that has happened in the last couple of years.”
In “Busted!” Riccio recalls the September day when he, Simpson and a handful of accomplices stormed into another collector’s room in the Nevada Palace Station hotel and stole sports memorabilia that Simpson claimed belonged to him. The former football star was arrested two days later and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He’s up for parole on July 20 and could be freed as early as Oct. 1.
“The success of the Travolta show (“The People v.s. O.J. Simpson”), proved that anything about O.J. is just captivating viewing — and this story is no different,” Riccio told us from his L.A. home by phone. “My story is just as crazy as the other show. A mild confrontation turned into a kidnapping and an armed robbery leading to him being in prison.”
Riccio himself has a criminal history that could make for a mini-series. The Smoking Gun first reported in 2007 that he’d been convicted of four felonies and spent eight years in prison before hooking up with The Juice.
“The case and players around O.J.’s conviction is so intriguing,” he said. “I feel there is enough color to make a real hit.”
Ideally, Riccio says he’d like to see Denzel Washington play Simpson while Vince Vaughn portrays him.
Riccio isn’t betting on whether Simpson will be granted parole.
“It’s 50/50 on him being released,” he said. “It will not shock me either way what happens next.”
O.J. craves the spotlight–he did radio interviews and even appeared in a bizarre rap video after his acquittal and exile from Brentwood–so he probably doesn’t hate the idea of a movie about himself, even if it is a hit piece.
Riccio is undoubtedly an unsavory character who will likely play fast and loose with the facts, but if the movie ever gets made, O.J. has a clear track record of attracting eyeballs.
However, Riccio may have to set his sights lower than Denzel Washington and Vince Vaughn.
the man should never breathe “freedom air” again…..
I’m bigots like you were not on the jury otherwise he would not have received a fair trial. Just because a trial didn’t turn out the way you thought it should doesn’t mean that you are right it just means that your ignorance shows through and you believe everything that’s either on the Internet or shown to you on television without the needs of any facts to back it up, it’s sad to think that you breathe the same air as the rest of civil people.
omg….so delusional….having been a huge o.j. fan, i was sickened by the whole mess….
however, the evidence was w/o question proof of guilt….(shoes, blood, glove, flight, etc)…..and the jury feared the outcry had he been found guilty…
almost as bad is the fact that our justice system has incarcerated o.j. for a longer period of time than his second crime most likely warranted…
your name calling only serves to reduce any credibility you “might” have had
Bulshit, they never explained how they found a few drops of his blood in the massive amounts of blood at the scene, or how he might have been cut during the murders.
They didn’t explain how eh managed to come out of that mess without the victims blood all over him.
There were many other points that the prosecution failed to explain to the jurors. They did the right thing in finding him not guilty.
He`s guilty as hell threatening to kill himself while his buddy drove him around. Held a gun to his own head if you think that`s not guilty then you are full of shit.
He may be, BUT, the damn cops and DA screwed the pooch, and failed to prove it. They thought that it was an open and shut case so they FAILED in presenting the case.
I am not the one full of shit, it is the DA that prosecuted the case that was/is full of shit and that is the kind of case that he presented.
Go back and review the EVIDENCE presented to the jury, with an open mind (if you can) and you will see how the defense could shoot it so full of holes. That DA would have trouble pouring piss out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel.
naivite’
You must be over worked if you are taking up for that murderous S.O.B.
NIGGERS always get a second chance. If it was a WHITE PERSON you could forget about it we won’t get SHIT!!!
See simple minded people need to have the head checked I love your choice of words that you have but lo and behold a white man will get out of jail before a black man would a white man a snitch in a minute. and by the way it’s the Millennium racism went out a long time ago
It was NEVER obvious that he committed the murders. Get your facts straight. He was found NOT guilty.
Like so many other websites that spew out hatred and bigotry I will be blocking this one from all of my office computers because I feel like sites of this nature are harmful to society
hmmmm…..shoot and run, huh ?
totally agree with you concerning “sites of this nature are harmful to society”
my comments had nothing to do with hate and bigotry
Bullshit!
I watched and read everything I could about the trial. If I had been on that jury I would not have voted to convict him.
IF, HUGE IF, He is guilty, the state of CA screwed up so bad in their presentation of the case, he deserved to go free. After everything I saw, heard and read, there was nowhere near enough proof that he is guilty of the murders to convince any reasonable person beyond a reasonable doubt.
The only place O.J. Simpson needs to be is one of two places in jail or hell.
will have been in both eventually…
Everyone knows that he is as guilty as sin keep him behind bars
OJ would be the perfect spokesperson for alarm companies like ADT and Brinks. I can see him walking on camera “Hey guys. How would you like a big black dude to rape and kill your wife? Want to prevent that ? Talk to me.”
Is this a joke?