The Curse actors Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder reteam with A24 for Checkmate, a story based on a book proposal by author Ben Mezrich. Some of his other books have previously been adapted into films, including The Social Network and Dumb Money. 

The film, directed by Nathan Fielder, will revolve around what is considered the biggest scandal in the history of chess. It is based on a 12-page book proposal about the true chess cheating scandal involving Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, then world champion, and Hans Niemann. Both Carlsen and Niemann competed against each other in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, with Niemann defeating him. Later that year, Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating, which rocked the chess world. An analysis by anti-cheating expert Ken Regan found no evidence of cheating. The book proposal revealed that the book will not just be about scandal and rivalry, but also about the rise of the billion-dollar chess industry and the collision of tradition and innovation within the game.

Emma Stone is producing the film with her husband and partner Dave McCary under their Fruit Tree banner.