Former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko died just weeks after he was poisoned in London in late 2006, while he lay dying in his hospital bed and British and Russian authorities clashed while determining the cause, Litvinenko placed the blame on Russian president Vladmir Putin.
The story occupied the front pages and was ubiquitous in the TV news for weeks and it seemed the Cold War was frosting up again. Governments fought over extraditions, accusations were met with fierce denials and counter accusations, even now several key questions are still unanswered.
The New York Times London bureau chief Alan Cowell wrote the story up as the book The Terminal Spy, which has been picked up by Warner Bros. for development and director Mike Newell is reported by Variety to be the man Warners want behind the camera. There is much intrigue inherent in the story and the book has been a great success for Cowell, a success Warners are hoping will translate to the big screen.
