Filmmaker Nick Cassavetes is set to helm Known Associate, an adaptation of the book No Angel about an ATF agent's undercover operation within the Hells Angels. The project, produced by 308 Enterprises, draws from Jay Dobyns' real-life experiences infiltrating the gang from 2001 to 2003. Production is slated to begin this summer.
308 Enterprises has announced Known Associate, a cinematic adaptation of No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels, the 2009 book co-authored by ATF agent Jay Dobyns and Nils Johnson-Shelton. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, known for films like The Notebook, the story recounts Dobyns' role as the first federal agent to penetrate the outlaw motorcycle club's inner circle during Operation Black Biscuit.
From 2001 to 2003, Dobyns immersed himself so deeply that it threatened his identity and family safety, all in pursuit of exposing the Hells Angels' criminal activities and securing a significant legal case. The narrative highlights the psychological toll and moral dilemmas faced by undercover operatives in one of the world's most notorious gangs.
Corey Large of 308 Enterprises is producing, with a screenplay by Nick Snowden, Dobyns, Marc Furmie, and Paul Johansson. Casting is currently underway, and filming is expected to start in the summer. Large emphasized the project's intensity, stating, “This is a powerful story of the mission to infiltrate one of the most notorious gangs that ever existed and the personal and spiritual cost on the undercover agents involved.” He added, “We have worked tirelessly to craft an epic and cinematic crime saga, and I’m excited to [have] a legendary filmmaker like Nick Cassavetes at the helm.”
Cassavetes, repped by WME and Yorn Levine Barnes, brings experience from directing John Q with Denzel Washington, My Sister’s Keeper starring Cameron Diaz, and Alpha Dog featuring Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch, and Bruce Willis. The book was published by Canongate Books.
This adaptation promises to delve into the blurred lines between duty and danger in law enforcement's battle against organized crime.
