CANNES: Atom Egoyan’s West Memphis Three Drama ‘Devil’s Knot’ Gets Financed, via Worldview Entertainment
Atom Egoyan’s West Memphis Three project “Devil’s Knot” will be financed and produced by Worldview Entertainment. Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth star in the film, which begins shooting next month in Georgia.
Elizabeth Fowler, Clark Peterson, Richard Saperstein and Worldview CEO Christopher Woodrow are producing. Worldview’s Molly Conners, Sarah Johnson Redlich, Maria Cestone and Hoyt David Morgan are executive producers along with West Memphis Three defendants Jessie Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin.
“Worldview is excited to be involved with such an important and relevant project,” said Woodrow. “We believe this story needs to be told on screen and we couldn’t ask for a higher caliber of talent to do so.”
Based on Mara Leveritt’s 2002 book, “Devil’s Knot” was adapted by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson. The Weinstein Company is handling international sales on the project in Cannes, while CAA is repping North American rights.
The New York-based Worldview also is producing Guillaume Canet’s crime thriller “Blood Ties” and James Gray’s untitled period drama. The company has “Killer Joe” hitting theaters in July through LD Distribution and the British crime thriller “Welcome to the Punch” opening later this year.
Amy Berg’s “West of Memphis,” a comprehensive documentary about the infamous West Memphis Three case, played at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was subsequently acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s latest documentary on the trio, “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” aired on HBO in January.
