Al Pacino, Meadows Williams Join MoviePass Films' 'Axis Sally'

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Al Pacino and Meadow Williams have signed on to”Axis Sally,” the latest addition to MoviePass Films’ production slate.

The film is a true story drama Mildred Gillars, the woman who unwittingly became the voice of Nazi propaganda aimed at U.S. troops during World War II, earning the titular nickname.

Williams will play Gillars, with Pacino playing the lawyer tasked with representing Gillars after she was arrested on eight counts of treason. Vance Owen and Darryl Hicks wrote the script, which is adapted from the William Owen nonfiction book “Axis Sally Confidential.” Michael Polish will direct the film, which will start filming in January.

Also Read: MoviePass Owner Needs to Raise Capital as It Loses Stock Distribution Deal

Randall Emmett and George Furla will produce the film through their Emmett Furla Oasis Films (EFO) banner, which was purchased earlier this year by MoviePass to create the subscription ticket company’s production wing, MoviePass Films. Owen and Tucker Tooley will also produce, with Williams, Lydia Hull, and MoviePass Films heads Tim Sullivan and Alex Eckert serving as executive producers. Ted Farnsworth, CEO of MoviePass’ parent company Helios & Matheson, is also attached as executive producer.

Since announcing the purchase of EFO, MoviePass Films has announced an ambitious slate of planned productions and co-distributions, even as Helios & Matheson’s stock continues to drop. The company has co-distributed the recent NEON releases “Monsters and Men” and “Border,” and has finished filming on the Mel Gibson film “Boss Level.” Other films on the slate include the horror film “The Reckoning” and the Bruce Willis/Michael Chiklis action film “10 Minutes Gone.”

Pacino and Williams are repped by CAA. The deal was first reported by Deadline.

6 Movies and TV Shows Inspired by Gangster Whitey Bulger, From 'The Departed' to 'The Blacklist' (Photos)

James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who was serving a life sentence in prison and who also served as an informant to the FBI, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. His story has inspired a handful of gangster characters across film and TV, including one direct adaptation of his life story.
"The Departed" (2006)

Jack Nicholson's role as mob boss Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese's Boston gangster drama "The Departed" is very loosely based on Whitey Bulger, though Scorsese's film is actually a remake of the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs" from 2002.
Warner Bros.
"Brotherhood" (2006 - 2008)

Jason Isaacs and Jason Clarke played two Irish-American brothers, one a crime lord and the other a politician, in a drama inspired by the relationship between Whitey Bulger and his brother Billy. "Brotherhood," however, is set in Providence, Rhode Island as opposed to Boston.
Showtime
"The Blacklist" (2013-present)

NBC's drama starring James Spader as the country's most notorious criminal Raymond "Red" Reddington was inspired by Whitey Bulger's capture and his relationship as an informant to the FBI. Spader's portrayal, though, may have a bit more Hannibal Lecter in him than Whitey Bulger.
NBC
"Ray Donovan" (2013)

James Woods portrayed a Bulger-esque Boston crime boss named Sully Sullivan in the first season of the Showtime drama "Ray Donovan." Woods donned a wicked Boston accent opposite Steven Bauer before meeting an untimely end at the hands of a double crosser.
Showtime
"Whitey: United States of America vs. James J. Bulger" (2014)

Joe Berlinger's documentary captured the trial of Whitey Bulger to use as a springboard to make a broader point about corruption within law enforcement. He examines the extent of Bulger's close-ties and relationship with the FBI and the Department of Justice as an informant.
CNN Films
"Black Mass" (2015)

Director Scott Cooper finally brought the true story of Whitey Bulger to the screen in the 2015 drama "Black Mass." Cooper recruited Johnny Depp to give a vampiric performance as the ruthless mob boss, with his character's thin hair, heavy makeup and massive forehead doing some heavy lifting.
Warner Bros.

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The Boston mob boss was found dead in prison at 89-years-old

James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who was serving a life sentence in prison and who also served as an informant to the FBI, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. His story has inspired a handful of gangster characters across film and TV, including one direct adaptation of his life story.

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