Barry optioned film rights for Jennifer Government to Section 8, a production company owned by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney early in the book's life.[7] In 2005, Louis Mellis and Dave Scinto, writers of Sexy Beast, were chosen by Clooney and Soderbergh to write the screenplay.[8] However, with the closure of Section 8 in 2006, the film rights returned to Barry.