Here's a snippet from the May 28th Las Vegas Sun, indicating there was quite a competition for the film rights to this woman's life story:
"Shortly after her booking, movie producers Justin Berfield and Jason Felts arrived [in Las Vegas] with a contract they hoped Payne would sign. About 20 other producers were also in town, Felts says, in search of her autograph.
Payne's signature on the contract will bring $150,000 and 2.5 percent of the movie's net profit, she says. Now she hopes to stay alive long enough to see it."
Another encouraging aspect of this project is that the creative collaborator is in place--Eunetta Boone will write the story. She's a veteran creator/writer/producer of black-themed comedies (her sitcom One on One had a five-year run on UPN). The Jerry Garcia biopic project is not as far along, as no creative team is yet in place.
This Payne woman had such a colorful "career" as a jewel thief, it would be hard not to make an entertaining movie of her life. Her life was a long series of slick con jobs and slippery escapes; she'd pop up in exotic places--Paris, Monte Carlo. She had an eye for quality, stealing just a few jewels of very high value. Her technique was to smooth-talk people into letting down their guard--jewel merchants, halfway-house guards. The role will be a stellar vehicle for a first-rate black actress, or actresses (her escapades spanned five decades). I'm very much looking forward to this movie. (And it would certainly be nice if Justin cast himself in a small but "meaty" role in it!)