Eleventh Hour options prison diaries

Sony Pictures Television (SPT)-backed Eleventh Hour Films has optioned the prison diaries of a documentary-maker who was sent to jail after becoming embroiled in a dodgy tax scheme to fund a film.

A Bit of a Stretch, which is published today by Atlantic Books, was written by Chris Atkins about his time in HMP Wandsworth in London, one of the oldest, largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe.

Atkins, who worked on documentaries such as Taking Liberties, Starsuckers and UKIP: The First 100 Days, was given a five-year prison sentence in 2016.

The deal for the option was brokered by Luke Speed on behalf of Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown Group.

Paula Cuddy, creative director at Eleventh Hour Films, said: “Hilarious, horrifying and heart-breaking, this book is a wake-up call, a shocking and surprising insight into modern prison life.”

Atkins added: “Prison was a dark and traumatic place but it was also full of humour, humanity and fascinating characters. I can’t wait to bring this surreal and dysfunctional world to screen.”

Eleventh Hour Films was established in 2010 and is currently in post-production on an eight-part adaptation of the Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz. The company’s productions also include Safe House (ITV), New Blood (BBC One), Foyles War (ITV) and Collision (ITV).