EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Warner Bros Pictures has landed feature rights to “A Harrowing Race Against Time to Find a Downed U.S. Airman in Iran,” a buzzy recent piece from The New York Times.

Warner Bros optioned rights to the story for Matt Reeves‘ 6th & Idaho to produce, with Harrison Query adapting. Netflix and Anonymous Content were also engaging to acquire rights, sources confirmed.

Published on April 5, with reporting from Greg Jaffe, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, and Julian E. Barnes, the NYT story explains how a high-stakes U.S. military rescue operation played out in Iran following the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet.

After being ejected, the airman spent hours evading capture while injured, as U.S. forces, assisted by the CIA, executed on a complex plan to recover him from a remote, 7,000-foot ridge line.

One of the most in demand writers in town at the moment, Query has been in business of late with 6th & Idaho. Most recently, he set up the action thriller spec Kill Switch at Netflix with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star, as we first reported. That project will also be produced by Gyllenhaal and Josh McLauglin’s Nine Stories banner and Scott Glassgold and his 12:01 Films, with Query as EP. Prior to that, he sold the political thriller short story “Code Black” to Amazon MGM, with Gyllenhaal again set to star, and the triumvirate of 6th & Idaho, Nine Stories and 12:01 aboard to produce.

Soon, Query will see the release of his Paramount+/101 Studios JonBenét Ramsey limited series Unspeakable, starring Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen, which he co-created and exec produced. Up next for him is the Netflix/A24 series Trigger Point, where he’s creator, showrunner and EP, which is going this summer. Also readying is Drew Hancock’s Amazon MGM adaptation of his and brother Matt Query’s novel My Wife and I Bought a Ranch, based on Matt’s supernatural horror story originally published to Reddit. He is repped by CAA, Ground Control and Jeff Frankel.

6th & Idaho’s The Wrecking Crew, starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, recently topped global charts on Prime Video. Readying the Reeves-helmed The Batman Part II, the company’s upcoming slate also includes Clayface, Dynamic Duo for DC and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and more. They are repped by CAA and Karl Austen.

The New York Times is repped by CAA.