Written by David Kajganich, "Open City" will center on New York City in the years leading up to the Stonewall Riots when John Lindsay was mayor. The plot will also touch on the unlikely relationship between the mafia and the gay community in the opening of a West Village nightclub.
Shankman will direct and produce the film that is executive produced by Jennifer Gibgot. Ronnie Lorenzo, one of the original owners of the Stonewall Inn, will serve as a consulting producer.