If you have been craving more of that real-life, edge-of-your-seat drama we enjoyed following the adventures of John McAfee just a few years ago, you're in luck.
A movie about the notorious tech magnate is in the works, with actor Johnny Depp filling the lead role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The dark comedy, titled "King of the Jungle," is based on a 2012 Wired article about a journalist's experience chronicling McAfee's journey from tech entrepreneur to cocaine addict to fugitive.
The article, "John McAfee's Last Stand," by Joshua Davis, follows McAfee as he loses his fortune and moves to the jungle of Belize, setting up a "Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness," according to The Hollwood Reporter. The movie is about escalating paranoia, slippery reality and murder, according to the report.
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I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Horror Software creator John McAfee was found dead in his Spanish jail cell Wednesday evening. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the SoylentNews community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.
Netcraft confirms it, as does NYPost - an "apparent suicide".
John McAfee was found dead in his cell in a prison near Barcelona on Wednesday. McAfee was awaiting extradition in a Spanish prison after being charged with tax evasion in the United States last year. McAfee was arrested in Spain in October after being indicted in the United States for tax evasion months earlier. He allegedly failed to file taxes for four years despite earning millions in income between 2014 and 2018 from promoting cryptocurrencies.
Also at the Associated Press, The Register, CNN, and CNBC.
See also: How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus
Previously: John McAfee Announces He Will Run For President of the United States
On TV, John McAfee Says Cracking an iPhone is Trivial
Johnny Depp to Star in Movie About John McAfee
John McAfee's "Unhackable" Cryptocurrency Wallet Has Been Hacked (Again)
John McAfee Indicted for Tax Evasion
Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3 Original Submission #4
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @08:45AM (1 child)
And that like OJ he managed to get away? (Well, the first crime anyways.)
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday May 17 2017, @02:54PM
No, the people making the movie are implying he did it (maybe). McAfee has always said he's innocent of the murder.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @09:51AM
I'm waiting for the movie about Microsoft Bob.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @10:34AM (1 child)
Overrated "movie star" to star in movie about overrated "security researcher".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @03:45PM
If Depp can go as deep as he went into Hunter Thompson in the movie version of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", this ought to be a great movie. This https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_and_Loathing_in_Las_Vegas_%28film%29 [wikipedia.org] notes that it is still a cult film... (I've seen it several times, always entertaining).
On the other hand, comparisons of McAfee with Colonel Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now" seem like quite a stretch. If you haven't seen the extended directors cut, "Apocalypse Now Redux" I highly recommend it. My takeaway was that every scene played out to the end, unlike most movies where scenes are often clipped or cut to make a ~2 hour movie.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday May 17 2017, @10:46AM (2 children)
Seems Deep has been practicing for this role for many years. Rich, crazy person doing lines of coke.
(Score: 2) by sgleysti on Wednesday May 17 2017, @05:53PM (1 child)
If I recall correctly, McAfee is a fan of bath salts.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @04:59AM
McAfee claims to be a fan of trying most any drug at least once or twice, but claims that he's got no special affinity for bath salts (though he did allude to the claims in his "How to Uninstall McAfee Antivirus" video).
I honestly can't say I doubt him here. For one, he's pretty open about liking drugs in general, and for another, a man his age making regular use of bath salts almost certainly wouldn't still be alive after a few years (which there've been). As far as stimulants go, MDPV is pretty nasty stuff.
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Wednesday May 17 2017, @12:04PM
Sounds like spot-on casting based on how the media have portrayed both characters. Whether any of it has much relation to reality I really can't comment on. Either way, I doubt I'll bother with the movie.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @01:11PM (1 child)
And a drunken one at that? I'd rather see EF play that part, he'd probably do a better job.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 17 2017, @02:55PM
ф. is an actor?
In Soviet Russia, part plays YOU!