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Spike Lee Developing Military Dramedy ‘Liberty’ with Rebecca Murga and Jalysa Conway

liberty

Spike Lee is set to produce and potentially direct Liberty, a comedic military drama based on a pitch by writers Rebecca Murga and Jalysa Conway. The project, which Lee is developing under his 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks banner alongside Underground, brings together a creative team with deep ties to military service.

Described as being in the vein of Hal Ashby’s 1973 Navy dramedy The Last Detail, Liberty follows a group of military cadets navigating one wild night in New York City during Fleet Week. Murga and Conway, both military veterans, will write the script. This marks their second collaboration with Lee, following the ROTC coming-of-age drama series they developed for Amazon, first reported in 2022.

Rebecca Murga, a U.S. Army veteran who completed two tours in Afghanistan, has an extensive writing portfolio, including stints on Apple TV+’s Swagger and ABC’s Will Trent. Murga is also developing Devil’s Ranch, a military procedural for ABC and 20th Television, where a team of ex-military personnel juggles ranch life on the Texas-Mexico border with covert missions. Heidi Cole McAdams will serve as showrunner for the project.

Jalysa Conway, a retired U.S. Air Force Flight Commander in Cyber Warfare, has brought her expertise to high-profile TV series such as 9-1-1: Lone Star, Power Book IV: Force, and Grey’s Anatomy. Conway’s industry background and military experience add a layer of authenticity to her storytelling, making her a sought-after voice in television.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation, Spike Lee’s career spans more than three decades. His recent projects include Highest 2 Lowest, a crime thriller inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, and A$AP Rocky. Distributed by A24, the film is set to debut in theaters before streaming on Apple TV+.

Lee’s previous work includes Netflix’s Da 5 Bloods and Focus Features’ BlacKkKlansman, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Beyond feature films, Lee directed HBO’s NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½ and the Emmy-winning concert film David Byrne’s American Utopia.

Representation

Spike Lee is represented by Gersh and Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks. Rebecca Murga is represented by Underground and Gersh, while Jalysa Conway is represented by Underground and Granderson Des Rochers.

Liberty continues Spike Lee’s tradition of blending sharp storytelling with socially relevant themes, further enhanced by the military insights of its writers.

Deadline exclusive reported this news.

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