Reese Witherspoon is the first cast member to sign on to Atom Egoyan’s narrative take on the story of the West Memphis Three, Deadline reports.
Released from prison earlier this year after nearly two decades, Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the murder of three eight-year-old boys in 1993. Their trial was the subject of the Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky documentary, Paradise Lost that brought national media attention to the trial and its outcome. Believing the conviction to be in error, Berlinger and Sinofsky fought for the release of the three with a sequel, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. A third film, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, has incorporated details of the recent release and is currently touring festivals.
Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, Chloe) will base his take off the book “Devils Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three” by Mara Leveritt.
In the narrative version, Witherspoon will play Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of the original victims. She believed (as many did) that the West Memphis Three were guilty but, over time, began to suspect their innocence to the point that she fought for their release.
Witherspoon can be seen early next year in This Means War and is set to headline the family comedy Wish List. She’s also been linked to appear opposite Jason Segel in the comedy Sex Tape.
(Photo Credit: Ian Wilson / WENN.com)
