Award-winning filmmaker Cary Fukunaga and A24 will develop an untitled drama based on the true story of Joe and Jadin Bell that Fukunaga will direct, with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN writers Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana to write the script, it was announced today. This marks the first project to be developed from script to screen by A24, who are producing the film along with Fukunaga’s Parliament of Owls production company, Daniela Taplin Lundberg and Riva Marker of Red Crown Productions, and Eva Maria Daniels of VisionChaos Productions. Daniel Crown of Red Crown will executive produce.
The project is based upon the true story of Oregonian father-and-son Joe and Jadin Bell. Jadin, a fifteen-year-old openly gay sophomore, took his own life after being both bullied at high school and struggling for acceptance from the people closest to him. In the wake of Jadin's suicide, Joe is plunged into a sea of remorse and regret. Attempting to work through his grief, Joe sets out on a walk across America, hoping to promote awareness about the consequences of prejudice to anyone he encounters along the way.
“Joe and Jadin Bell’s story is a poignant reminder of how precious life is, and a life-affirming example of love transcending the prejudice and victimization familiar to many,” said A24. “Cary is a truly exceptional filmmaker. We are honored to help bring his vision of this incredible true story to screen. With the legendary talents of Larry and Diana writing the script, we have no doubt this will be a profoundly emotional and unforgettable film.”
Fukunaga most recently directed the upcoming drama BEASTS OF NO NATION produced by Red Crown Productions, which was acquired by Netflix last month in a groundbreaking eight-figure deal. Fukunaga made his feature film writing and directing debut with the critically acclaimed SIN NOMBRE followed by the film adaptation of classic novel JANE EYRE, both released by Focus Features. Fukunaga notably won an Emmy for directing the first season of HBO’s acclaimed mystery drama True Detective, which he also executive produced. He is currently in pre-production on the big screen adaptation on Stephen King’s IT for New Line Cinema. The two-part film is set to begin production this summer. Additionally, it was recently announced Fukunaga will direct and Executive Produce an event mini-series inspired by Caleb Carr’s The Alienist for Paramount Television. Academy award-winner Eric Roth will also executive produce and Hossein Amini, who wrote the pilot, will write and serve as an executive producer on the series. Fukunaga is represented by WME and Anonymous Content.
McMurtry and Ossana won an Oscar® for Best Adapted Screenplay for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. They are represented by UTA, Anonymous Content and attorneys Robert Thorne and Greg Redlitz.
ABOUT A24
Launched in the summer of 2012, A24 is a New York-based media company focused on the distribution, financing, development and production of feature films and television projects. Recent releases include Alex Garland's highly-acclaimed directorial debut EX MACHINA, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander as well as Noah Baumbach's latest comedy WHILE WE'RE YOUNG, featuring an all-star cast of Ben Stiller, Adam Driver, Naomi Watts and Amanda Seyfried. Earlier this year, they released A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, named the “2014 Best Film of the Year” by the National Board of Review, from J.C. Chandor starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in a Golden Globe-nominated role. Last year, they release Sundance breakout OBVIOUS CHILD, featuring Jenny Slate, and Jonathan Glazer’s singular Scarlett Johansson film, UNDER THE SKIN. In 2013, the company released Sofia Coppola’s THE BLING RING, James Ponsoldt’s THE SPECTACULAR NOW, and Harmony Korine’s record-breaking SPRING BREAKERS. Upcoming titles include the Amy Winehouse documentary AMY, from director Asif Kapadia, which will premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and James Ponsoldt's THE END OF THE TOUR, which debuted to much acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel as writer David Foster Wallace.
ABOUT PARLIAMENT OF OWLS
Parliament of Owls is a collective of filmmakers founded by Cary Fukunaga. Most recently, Parliament of Owls co-produced BEASTS OF NO NATION along with Amy Kaufman of Primary Productions and Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker and Daniel Crown of Red Crown Productions. Fukunaga wrote and directed the film, which will premiere in theaters and on Netflix later this year. Cary Fukunaga executive produced the HBO Emmy nominated series True Detective for Parliament of Owls, for which he won an Emmy Award for Directing. Next, the company is set to executive produce NOWHERE EVER AFTER, written by Annie J Howell with Rob Meyer set to direct, and BLACK LUNG, written and directed by Chase Palmer. Along with John Legend’s production company Get Lifted, Parliament of Owls will also produce THE BLACK COUNT, based on Tom Reiss’s 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas.
ABOUT RED CROWN PRODUCTIONS
Red Crown Productions is a privately held New York-based production and financing company founded in 2010 by Daniel Crown, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, and Riva Marker. Red Crown recently produced Cary Fukunaga’s child soldier film BEASTS OF NO NATION starring Idris Elba which sold to Netflix in a landmark eight-figure deal, and Michael Showalter’s HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS which won the Audience Award at the 2015 SXSW film festival and will be distributed by Roadside Attractions. Red Crown is currently in post-production on Jason Bateman’s THE FAMILY FANG starring Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken and is in development on the Fox Studios tentpole CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE with the John Davis Company.
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