In the spring of 2013, a terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon captured the world's attention. That horrific event still holds people's interest today as stories of both the survivors and perpetrators of the attack continue to unfold. While there are currently multiple movie projects dedicated to exploring this moment in history, today we have word that David Gordon Green is on board to direct Lionsgate's effort, titled Stronger.

As THR reports, Stronger will focus on bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, who "was waiting for his girlfriend at the finish line of the annual marathon when two pressure cooker bombs exploded, killing 3 people and injuring more than 260 others." Bauman, who lost both of his legs in the attack, shared his harrowing experiences of not only the bombing, but being a key witness to the terrorist attack and also his attempts at rehab in "Stronger," a book co-written by Bret Whitter. That book was then adapted by John Pollono and Scott Silver for the movie version.

Here's the book synopsis (via Amazon):

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Image via Amazon

When Jeff Bauman woke up on Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 in the Boston Medical Center, groggy from a series of lifesaving surgeries and missing his legs, the first thing he did was try to speak. When he realized he couldn't, he asked for a pad and paper and wrote down seven words: "Saw the guy. Looked right at me," setting off one of the biggest manhunts in the country's history.

 

Just thirty hours before, Jeff had been at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon cheering on his girlfriend, Erin, when the first bomb went off at his feet. As he was rushed to the hospital, he realized he was severely injured and that he might die, but he didn't know that a photograph of him in a wheelchair was circulating throughout the world, making him the human face of the Boston Marathon bombing victims, or that what he'd seen would give the Boston police their most important breakthrough.

 

Up until the marathon, Jeff had been a normal 27-year-old guy, looking forward to moving in with Erin and starting the next phase of their lives together. But when his life was turned upside down in ways he could never have fathomed, Jeff did not give up. Instead he faced his new circumstances with grace, humor, and a sense of purpose: he was determined, no matter what, to walk again.

 

In STRONGER, Jeff describes the chaos and terror of the bombing itself and the ongoing FBI investigation in which he was a key witness. He takes us inside his grueling rehabilitation, and discusses his attempt to reconcile the world's admiration with his own guilt and frustration. And he tells of the courage of his fellow survivors. Brave, compassionate, and emotionally compelling, Jeff Bauman's story is not just his, but ours as well. It proves that the terrorists accomplished nothing with their act of cowardice and shows the entire world what Boston Strong really means.


Hollywood’s other Boston Marathon Projects include Patriot’s Day, a CBS Films with Mark Walhberg attached to star, and Fox’s Boston Strong. Both of these films are currently looking for a director, though the latter project has already lost star Casey Affleck and director Daniel Espinosa.

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Image via Universal Pictures