Indie distributor Roadside Attractions has acquired U.S. rights to Edward Zwick’s true-crime drama “Trial by Fire,” the company announced on Monday.
The film, starring Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell, was adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”) and is based on David Grann’s article in The New Yorker about the unlikely bond between a death row inmate (O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights for his freedom.
“Trial by Fire” had its world premiere during the 2018 Telluride Film Festival in August. Roadside plans to release the film on May 17.
“I first read David Grann’s article, ‘Trial by Fire’ in The New Yorker nearly ten years ago. I couldn’t stop talking about it to friends and soon realized I had to try to make it as a film,” Zwick said in a statement. “I was appalled by the iniquity of Todd Willingham’s trial. I was completely infuriated by the miscarriage of justice that led to his imprisonment. This is ultimately a film about one man wrongly facing the death penalty and the profound preciousness of life.”
“Trial by Fire” follows Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, who is convicted of an arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.
The film was produced by Zwick, Allyn Stewart, Kipp Nelson and Alex Soros. Kathryn Dean and Marshall Herskovitz served as executive producers.
“I believe it was Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a staunch defender of the death penalty, who said, ‘Not a single defendant in America has ever been erroneously executed,” Soros said. “If such an event had occurred … the innocent’s name would be shouted from the rooftops.’ Cameron Todd Willingham was an innocent man. This film is that shout.”
The deal was brokered by Roadside’s Howard Cohen and Cinetic Media.
Since its founding in 2003, Roadside films have grossed more than $300 million at the box office and garnered 19 Oscar nominations. The indie distributor had the No. 1 independent film of 2018 in the faith-based “I Can Only Imagine,” which grossed $83.5 million last year. The company has released such critical and commercial hits as “Manchester by the Sea,” “Whitney,” “Hello My Name is Doris,” “Dear White People” and “Winter’s Bone.”
“Ed Zwick delivers an incendiary indictment of our criminal justice system and focuses on the death penalty as it was wrongly applied in this heartbreaking and tragic case,” said Roadside co-founders Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. “This is an important movie, with knockout performances by Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell, and we are proud to release it.”
10 Movie Hits Launched at Sundance in 2018, From 'Won't You Be My Neighbor' to 'Eighth Grade' (Photos)
Even though last year's Sundance didn't see studios break the bank to acquire a movie, the Park City festival was still the launch pad for several future indie hits that competed or premiered there. Here are the biggest ones from the last 12 months.
“Colette” ($5.1 million domestic) — Our list opens with Keira Knightley's portrayal of the author of the "Claudine" novels, who strikes out on her own after her manipulative husband takes the novels to Paris and claims that he wrote them. Bleecker Street bought the film for $4 million and saw a minor return on the film.
“Leave No Trace” ($6 million) -- "Winter's Bone" director Debra Granik won praise from indie circles for her gentle direction of a single father and his teenage daughter's wayward journey from one home to another after being caught living off the grid.
"Tully" ($9.4 million) -- The buzz for Charlize Theron's performance as a weary single mother began with a surprise screening at Sundance, going on to gross just under $10 million domestically.
“Three Identical Strangers” ($12.3 million) — Director Tim Wardle received a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for his competition-screened telling of triplets who were separated at birth thanks to an unethical behavioral science experiment. “Strangers” was one of four documentaries in 2018 to gross over $12 million at the box office, the first time that has ever happened in a calendar year.
“Eighth Grade” ($13.5 million) — It was snubbed by the Sundance jury AND the Academy, but “Eighth Grade” was still a striking debut for both its director, Bo Burnham, and its lead star, Elsie Fisher. The coming-of-age tale earned one of the highest opening per screen averages of the year, as A24 also held free screenings for teens to get around the film’s R rating.
“RBG” ($14 million) — Last year saw Ginsburg Mania hit a fever pitch, highlighted by the success of Magnolia Pictures’ documentary on the Supreme Court Justice released in the middle of a blockbuster-loaded May. And now it has earned Magnolia its second straight Oscar nomination, joining last year's doc "I Am Not Your Negro"
“Sorry to Bother You” ($17.5 million) — Boots Riley’s directorial debut became an instant cult classic with its bizarre imagery and cutting social commentary. It was purchased by Annapurna in an effort to built its distribution wing and became its first legit indie box office hit.
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million) — Morgan Neville’s ode to Mister Rogers might have been shockingly snubbed from the Oscars, but it was still the most talked about film at Sundance and one of the most popular docs of the past decade. Released in the summer, it now ranks as one of the top 10 highest grossing nonfiction films of all-time.
“Searching” ($26 million) — The feature debut of Indian-American filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty made a huge splash in Sundance’s Next section and made a mint after being released by Sony in the late summer. Made on a paltry $1 million budget and bought for $5 million, “Searching” stars John Cho and tells the story of a father searching for his disappeared daughter, with almost the whole film being told on smartphone and computer screens.
“Hereditary” ($44.1 million) — The biggest box office hit of Sundance 2018 was a midnight section film produced by A24. “Hereditary” earned critical and audience acclaim for its disturbing portrayal of grief and its destructive power, and was declared by many to be the finest performance of Toni Collette’s career.
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Several films that premiere or compete in Park City go on to become the indie darlings of tomorrow
Even though last year's Sundance didn't see studios break the bank to acquire a movie, the Park City festival was still the launch pad for several future indie hits that competed or premiered there. Here are the biggest ones from the last 12 months.
