National Geographic Acquires David France's How to Survive a Plague for Scott Rudin Productions

How to Survive a Plague to Be Produced as a Scripted Miniseries

WASHINGTON & PASADENA, Calif. -- National Geographic today announced plans to adapt David France's acclaimed book, "How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS," into a scripted miniseries. Scott Rudin will executive produce.

Praised by critics as "a masterpiece of intimate storytelling" and "a sweeping social history, a bracing act of in-depth journalism, and a searingly honest memoir," How to Survive a Plague is the gripping true story of a patient population that seized power over its own care and treatment to push through drugs that turned HIV from a fatal infection to a manageable disease.

The miniseries will chart the founding of ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group), and the rise of an underground drug market in opposition to the prohibitively expensive (and sometimes toxic) AZT. Ignored by public officials, religious leaders and the nation at large, these activists took on the political and medical establishment by becoming their own researchers, lobbyists, drug smugglers and clinicians, which forced reform and saved the future of an imperiled population.

"This medical thriller about the community that fought AIDS through its own form of grassroots advocacy and scientific research is the perfect fit for National Geographic," said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Global Networks. "With Scott and his team, we are honored to develop David France's incredible book into a groundbreaking scripted series."

France, who directed the award-winning documentary of the same name, will also executive produce the miniseries, which will premiere on National Geographic in 172 countries and 43 languages. National Geographic and Scott Rudin Productions are also developing Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author Annie Proulx's Barkskins as an ongoing series.

About David France:

David France is the author of "Our Fathers," a book about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal, which Showtime adapted into a film. He is a contributing editor for New York Magazine and has written as well for The New York Times. His documentary film "How to Survive a Plague" was nominated for an Academy Award, won a Directors Guild Award and a Peabody Award, and was nominated for two Emmys, among other accolades.

About Scott Rudin:

Films include "Fences," "Ex Machina," "De Palma," "Steve Jobs," "Top Five," "While We're Young," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Captain Phillips," "Inside Llewyn Davis," "Frances Ha," "Moonrise Kingdom," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Margaret," "Moneyball," "True Grit," "The Social Network," "Greenberg," "It's Complicated," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Julie & Julia," "Doubt," "There Will Be Blood," "Margot at the Wedding," "The Darjeeling Limited," "No Country for Old Men," "Notes on a Scandal," "The Queen," "Closer," "The Life Aquatic," "Team America: World Police," "The Village," "School of Rock," "The Hours," "Iris," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Wonder Boys," "Sleepy Hollow," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," "A Civil Action," "The Truman Show," "In & Out," "The First Wives Club," "Mother," "Clueless," "Nobody's Fool," "Addams Family Values," "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "The Firm," "Sister Act" and "The Addams Family." Theater includes "Passion," "Seven Guitars," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "The Chairs," "The Blue Room," "Closer," "Amy's View," "Copenhagen," "The Goat," "Medea," "Caroline, or Change," "The Normal Heart," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" "Doubt," "The History Boys," "Faith Healer," "Stuff Happens," "The Year of Magical Thinking," "Gypsy," "God of Carnage," "Fences," "The Motherf**ker With the Hat," "Jerusalem," "Death of a Salesman," "One Man, Two Guvnors," "Betrayal," "A Raisin in the Sun," "This Is Our Youth," "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," "A Delicate Balance," "The Iceman Cometh," "Between Riverside and Crazy," "Fish in the Dark," "The Audience," "Skylight," "The Flick," "King Charles III," "A View From the Bridge," "The Humans," "The Crucible," "Blackbird," "Shuffle Along," "The Front Page" and "The Wolves." Television includes "The Newsroom," "Silicon Valley" and "The Night Of."

About National Geographic Partners LLC:

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 128 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Google+,YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.