Tom Watson's phone hacking book 'Dial M for Murdoch' is being made into a film

Labour's deputy leader could be a star of the silver screen soon as the film rights for his book into the News International phone-hacking scandal have been snapped up, a source close to Tom Watson confirmed to IBTimes UK on Thursday (24 November).

The MP co-wrote Dial M for Murdoch, published in 2012, with former Independent journalist Martin Hickman.

The development comes after Watson listed two payments – one of £9,439 ($11,785) and the other of £10,974 – from California based Story Mining Supply Co for "films rights option on a book I co-wrote" in the House of Commons' register of interests.

Watson, a former member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, questioned Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and ex-editor Rebekah Brooks about phone hacking at the News of the World.

The scandal eventually led to Murdoch shutting the popular tabloid, while Brooks was cleared of all the charges against her in 2014.

But Andy Coulson, another former editor of the paper and director of communications to David Cameron, was found guild of conspiracy to intercept voicemails.

Cameron said he took "full responsibility" for employing Coulson and was "extremely sorry" in reaction to the verdict.

Scores of celebrities and high profile figures were found to be victims of phone hacking at the paper. The scandal gained wider public attention when it emerged that the phone of murdered school girl Milly Dowler had been hacked.

An investigation led by Lord Justice Leveson was established in 2011 to look into the practices and ethics of the UK press. Leveson recommended in 2012 that the Press Complaints Commission, a voluntary media watchdog, should be replaced.