Writer-Director Neil Burger boasts quite a diverse catalog of films, ranging from sci-fi action flicks like Divergent and Limitless to the romantic mystery period film The Illusionist and the psychological crime thriller adaptation The Marsh King’s Daughter. His latest, Inheritance, now takes him into the world of spy thrillers, following a woman who discovers her father’s past in espionage, unknowingly thrusting her into the heart of an international conspiracy. There’s no predicting what he has planned next given his range, but, fortunately, there’s no need to do any guessing because he already has a few plans in motion. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for Inheritance, he opened up about two ideas that are next on the docket, including a biopic that he was able to pull back the curtain on ever so slightly.
It’s worth noting that Burger isn’t just thinking about the big screen after his spy film. His next gig to hit screens will be Motorheads, a Prime Video series due out later this year about Rust Belt outsiders banding together over their love of cars that he directed a few episodes for. In terms of his original features, however, he could only really open up on one. Like Inheritance, which he shot in secret using an iPhone, one of the projects is, “Another secret. It’s different. I’m not shooting it on an iPhone, but it’s kind of a contemporary story in the news, so I’m being a little bit cool about that.”
The other, meanwhile, is based on a true story following an unlikely trailblazer in the field of mathematics named Christopher Havens. A dropout from high school, Havens is currently still serving time in prison on a 25-year murder sentence. During his time behind bars, he became enraptured in number theory and began working on what is now an entirely new branch of mathematics. Burger’s biopic was first announced in 2022, with his The Lucky Ones collaborator Dirk Wittenborn penning the screenplay and Johnny Lin’s Clandestine Laureate production banner bringing it to life. He confirmed to Weintraub that the project is still in the works and shared what makes it such an unusual and incredible tale:
“I also have this other movie about this real guy named Christopher Havens, who is a math genius who is in prison. He was a meth addict and a drug dealer and murdered somebody, and never went to school past the age of 14. When he went to jail, he discovered mathematics. He didn’t just discover mathematics — he’s a bonafide math genius who’s changed the world of math, which matters because it’s a profound story of transformation. It’s a great story.”
Burger’s Christopher Havens Biopic May Still Be a Ways Off
While Burger is confident the team has a good angle, it has remained a challenge to get the Havens biopic into full swing. “These days, it’s hard to get dramas made,” he added. “Nobody wants to fund them. I think people still want to see them, but they’re hard to market, and they’re hard to press into the marketplace and press forward. So, it’s tough going.” In the meantime, Inheritance will look to capture audiences’ attention in theaters with a starry cast, espionage thrills, and a unique presentation. The film paired Burger up with co-writer Olen Steinhauer of All the Old Knives fame and features a cast including Phoebe Dynevor, Rhys Ifans, Ciara Baxendale, Kersti Bryan, and Majd Eid. If you needed another reason to go watch it, Burger has previously teased that gives audiences a version of Dynevor that “they’ve never seen before,” as the Bridgerton alum has to fend for herself abroad while unearthing the secrets of her past.
Inheritance is now playng in theaters. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Burger’s next projects as his work continues.
Inheritance
- Release Date
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January 24, 2025
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Director
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Neil Burger
- Writers
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Neil Burger, Olen Steinhauer
