Hollywood director Oliver Stone paid $1 million to Edward Snowden’s lawyer for access to the accused NSA hacker, according to New York Times Magazine.
Stone paid Anatoly Kucherena for the movie rights to the book on Snowden, “Time of the Octopus.” Stone told NYT Magazine, “We bought it because we did get good access to Ed.”
Kucherena has shady connections to the Kremlin, campaigning for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2012, and serving on a so-called government advisory board, as well as on a board overseeing Russia’s vast spy agency. Despite these connections, he disputes any links to the Kremlin, and frequently points to his defense of an accused British spy.
Kucherena exclaimed to the magazine “I never had any kind of agreement with the Kremlin,” continuing “They tried to say I’m tied to the F.S.B., but that’s complete nonsense, excuse me.”
Three months after securing Snowden asylum in Russia, Kucherena novelized the accused hacker’s story in the book, “Time of the Octopus.” Kucherena pitched the movie rights to Stone before the book was even published. The lawyer then paid for two first class tickets to Moscow for Stone and his associate, as a sign of his seriousness.
Kucherena justified the payment for his book rights to the magazine saying ““I don’t take any money from [Snowden],” continuing, “He doesn’t have any. So I wrote a book, yes, fine. So I got a little, as we say in Russian.”
Stone developed a strong relationship with Kucherena throughout production. He reportedly spent days with him at Kucherena’s vacation homes, posing for pictures in Soviet military garb, and taking selfies in front of historic Russian sites.
Stone used his purchased access to Snowden and entree to Moscow to create his new film “Snowden,” which lionizes the 33-year-old accused leaker. Stone has become so enamored with Putin, he reportedly wants to make a documentary about him. The director was also spotted attending a theater performance and parade with the Russian president.
“He represents a different point of view that Americans don’t want to hear,” Stone told Russian media.
Representatives of Oliver Stone’s did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation for comment.
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